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REMEMBERING COACH JOHN GARRIS

Coach John Garris was the heart and soul of this program. Born and raised in Alabama, he builteverything we do today on the foundation of family, education, hard work, and a deep love for sports,especially softball.

He continued his passion for pursuing educational opportunities even after he began his journey as a softball coach. During his time as an assistant coach at Shelton State Community College and as head coach at Delta State University, he added an educational specialist degree to his already impressive array of academic successes.

Coach Garris passed away on August 1, 2025, but the values he lived by integrity, hustle, respectfor the game, and genuine care for athletes which remain at the center of everything we do.

EDUCATION

Coach Garris deeply believed in the power of education. He earned a Bachelor of Science from theUniversity of Alabama with double majors in Sociology and Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He stayed at Alabama to complete two master’s degrees in education and criminaljustice and later earned an Educational Specialist degree while coaching.

He was also a lifelong learner in softball. He achieved the highest possible ranking; Four-Star Master Coach certification through the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s (NFCA) FastpitchCoaches College and remained active in the NFCA throughout his career.

COACHING CAREER

Coach Garris spent more than three decades coaching at every level. He began as an assistant atShelton State Community College, later returned as head coach, and went on to lead programs atDelta State University, Sam Houston State, Henderson State, and Southern University where he wasnamed Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after turning the program around.

He also served as an assistant at Rutgers, Samford, Louisiana Tech, University of Maryland andmost recently Head Coach at Bay College. At every stop, he improved teams and developed players.He was equally successful with younger athletes, leading St. Paul’s Episcopal and Jackson Academyto area championships.

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Coach Garris was passionate about growing the game globally. He led American teams oninternational trips to Peru, Curaçao, and Italy, and made multiple visits to Peru to coach and instructplayers and coaches at all levels.

PLAYING BACKGROUND

A true student of the game, Coach Garris played basketball, baseball, men’s fastpitch, and slow-pitchsoftball. His experience as a player at every position (except catcher) gave him a well-roundedunderstanding that shaped his coaching philosophy.

CAMPS, CLINICS & SPEAKING

He was a highly sought-after speaker and clinician, presenting at events across the country — fromhigh school coaches’ associations in multiple states to camps and clinics in 18 different states fromcoast to coast.

WATCH COACH GARRIS TRIBUTE VIDEO

JG STICKERS – HONORING COACH GARRIS

We created “JG” helmet stickers as a simple way for teams and players to keep Coach Garris’s memory in their memory and on the field.

These stickers are a small but meaningful way to carry forward his legacy with every practice and every game.

Coach Garris’ legacy lives on through every athlete we help reach college, every coach we support, and every camp we run smoother. We are proud to continue his mission.