Mackenzie Byrd has interim tag removed as EMCC’s head softball coach

SCOOBA -- East Mississippi Community College has removed the interim tag and announced Mackenzie Byrd as the Lions' head softball coach. The announcement was made Friday by EMCC Director of Athletics Sharon Thompson.

"First, I would like to thank Coach Mack for serving in the interim role for the past five months," Thompson said. "She is a rising, young coach who is very passionate about the game and dedicated to developing student-athletes. Coach Mack's competitiveness and loyalty will be instrumental as we continue to build and sustain a winning tradition within our softball program."

Byrd, a native of Richton, was previously elevated to interim head softball coach at EMCC this past January after serving as the Lions' assistant coach during the 2022 softball season. A former Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Alabama State University middle infielder, she was initially promoted when former EMCC head softball coach Whitney Hawkins left to take a coaching position at the University of North Alabama.

 "I'd like to express my sincere appreciation to (EMCC Director of Athletics) Sharon Thompson and to (EMCC President) Dr. (Scott) Alsobrooks for continuing to believe in me as the head coach of EMCC's softball program. I feel very good about the direction we are heading," Byrd said. "Along with wishing this year's sophomore class the very best after handling our coaching transition so well, I'm equally excited about our incoming players as we continue to build this program."

This past season with Byrd at EMCC's softball helm, the Lions posted their winningest season in five years by recording the program's most overall wins (11) and most conference victories (8) since the 2018 softball season.

EMCC's youthful 2023 softball squad, consisting of 12 freshmen and six sophomores, opened the MACCC slate with four straight wins and sat at 8-4 in conference play before encountering a challenging season-ending stretch that comprised three opponents currently ranked 11^th or higher in the NJCAA Division II rankings and two other opponents that are presently receiving national votes. Dating back to the beginning of April, all but one of EMCC's final eight MACCC opponents advanced to this week's NJCAA Region 23 Softball Tournament.

During Byrd's first year on the Lions' staff as Hawkins' assistant coach, EMCC's 2022 softball team continued the program's yearly tradition of classroom excellence by ranking eighth nationally and earning NJCAA All-Academic Team honors with a 3.70 composite grade point average. 

Upon graduation from Alabama State in 2020, Byrd moved to Hattiesburg to begin jointly working as an assistant manager for D1 Training and also as a softball instructor for the D-BAT softball academy. Byrd served as a softball instructor and coach for two years while also helping young athletes develop their individual training programs. In addition, she worked with sales memberships and helped create marketing strategies by utilizing social media platforms.

Byrd's softball coaching experience began when she served as a travel ball coach for Next Level Athletics during the summer months throughout her collegiate playing stints at Co-Lin and Alabama State. For five straight summers (2015-19), she was charged with managing practices for the Under-16 travel ball team as well as coordinating the club's strength and conditioning program.