Selena Collins named softball assistant coach
10/9/2008 1:00:00 AM | Softball
Selena Collins, an All-American catcher for Texas A&M with 12 years of competitive softball playing and coaching experience, has been named as assistant softball coach at Sam Houston State.
SHSU director of athletics Bobby Williams and head softball coach Bob Brock announced Collins' hiring Thursday.
Collins captained the Texas Aggie softball team and was a four-year starter from 2000 to 2003. She earned All-America, Big 12 Player-of-the-Year, Big 12 All-Conference and NCAA Midwest All-Region honors and finished her college career as Texas A&M's all-time leader in RBIs and home runs.
After graduation, she played professional softball for the Houston Thunder and the Chicago Bandits in the National Pro Fast Pitch League. She also played for several international teams including the USA Elite in 2001-2003.
“Becoming part of the Sam Houston State athletic tradition is an exciting opportunity for me,” Collins said. “My experience as a player and working in softball these past years has prepared me to take this next step in my career. Coach Brock has great vision for the Sam Houston program. I look forward to helping take it to the next level.”
Collins received a Bachelor's degree from Texas A&M in 2003. She has served the past two years as a writer for TheSoftballChannel.com and provided color commentary for college softball games for Cox Sports and Comcast Sports Net.
In 2003-04, she served as a graduate assistant at Texas A&M, working with the Aggie catches. At Sam Houston State, her responsibilities will include overall development and advancement of hitting with additional duties in catching and development of defensive strategy,
Collins coached high school softball at Sandra Day O'Connor school in Phoenix, AZ. She also worked as Director of Softball at the National Baseball and Softball Academy in Chicago, IL.
“Selena Collins is an outstanding addition to our program,” Brock said. “She has a tremendous knowledge of the game. She is a strong communicator and will be an asset for Sam Houston State on the field, in the community and in recruiting.”
The 28-year-old native of Phoenix, AZ, was a scholar athlete at Deer Valley High School. Her parents were both athletes at Northern Arizona (father-football, mother-tennis). She was a journalism major at Texas A&M.
“The most exciting thing about joining the Bearkat program is I now get to teach these girls some life lessons through a game I love and respect,” Collins said. “Softball has provided me many opportunities and blessings. I want to give back and show the girls through example that hard work and dedication pays off in all aspects of life. Softball is my true passion and to be back on the field is something that truly gives me joy.”
