Softball Coaching Staff

Jerry Breaux, Head Coach – bio through 2006 season

Jerry Breaux begins his 14th season as the head Evangel University softball coach in 2007. During his previous 13 years, Evangel’s 18-year-old softball program has blossomed. Breaux has led the Lady Crusaders to seven Heart of America Athletic Conference championships, including titles the last three years. In addition, Breaux has guided EU’s ladies to seven Region V Tournaments and his 2006 squad advanced to the NAIA National Championships for the first time ever.

Breaux, 51, was named the conference coach of the year in 2005, 2004, 2001, and 1997 and has also been honored with one region coach of the year award.

In 13 seasons, Breaux has amassed a 368-257-1 record as a collegiate coach and all 626 games were at Evangel. Counting every game he has coached, Breaux has won 688 games! Over the last three seasons, Evangel has turned in a 118-49 (.707) record and EU has a 160-96 mark (.625) over the last five seasons.

For winning 600-plus games, Breaux was honored at the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada on Dec. 6, 2004. He was presented with an Easton Victory Club award during a special luncheon to mark his accomplishment.

Over the last 11 years, his Evangel teams have won seven Heart of America Athletic Conference championships and have finished in second place three years. In addition, Breaux’s 2006 team was the first EU softball team to gain a berth into the NAIA National Championships. His 2000 squad was the first softball team at EU to achieve a national ranking and four of his teams have been nationally ranked. Also, EU has advanced to the NAIA Region V Tournament five out of the last seven years (2000-02, 2005-06) under Breaux’s guidance. Under his coaching expertise, Breaux’s last five squads boast a 72-28 (.720) record against conference opponents and his last 10 teams turned in a 131-46 record (.741).

Not only have Breaux’s teams been successful on the diamond, but they have excelled in the classroom as well. In 1999, the EU ladies had the fourth highest GPA among NAIA schools and then turned it up a notch during the 2001-02 academic year, registering the second-highest grade point average (GPA) in the nation among NAIA schools. The team ended the year with a 3.52 GPA, and according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), only four softball teams in the nation at four-year colleges and universities (NCAA I, II, II, and NAIA) had a higher GPA than that of the 2001-02 EU softball team. Breaux’s 2003 team also did well in the classroom, finishing in ninth place on the NFCA’s top-10 NAIA academic teams list. A year later, the EU women were third in the nation with a 3.5 grade point average and in 2006 the EU softball team finished eighth in the nation with a GPA of 3.50.

In addition to his coaching duties, Breaux is currently in his sixth season as the Athletic Department Recruiting Coordinator and current NAIA Region V softball chairman. During 2000 and 2001 he served a two-year stint as the conference’s softball chair.

The 2006 Evangel softball team made history by achieving the program’s first ever NAIA national tournament berth. Breaux’s 2006 team finished the season with a 36-13 record, won their third straight and seventh overall conference championship - the most by any Evangel athletic team. In addition, the 2006 Lady Crusaders had a school-record-tying, 12-game winning streak and advanced to its seventh NAIA Region V Tournament.

Breaux’s 2005 squad finished the season with a career best of 44-17 winning back-to-back conference championships with a 17-3 record. The 2005 squad advanced to the NAIA Region V tournament advancing to the championship game before bowing out with a 2-1 loss in 11 innings ending as runner-up. The 2005 season was highlighted as the best-ever with 44 wins and breaking a national home run record with 58 home runs and several school records broken. The program was also honored with their third All-American player in Jami Potter, a second-team NAIA selection.

Breaux’s 2004 squad finished the season with a 38-19 record and won the conference title with a 17-3 mark. The 38 wins and 17 conference wins are school records. The team also advanced to the Region V tournament for the fourth time and was the eighth EU team to win 20 or more games and the third to win 30 or more contests.

Breaux’s 2003 team was 18-23, placed seventh in the conference with a 9-11 record, and broke or tied 14 records.. His 2002 team ended its season at 24-24 and was second in the league at 13-7. The 2002 EU ladies achieved a berth in the NAIA Region V tournament for the third straight year.

The 2001 squad ended its season with a 32-18 record (.640). The 2001 squad also won the school’s fourth conference championship, advanced to the Region V tournament, was nationally ranked twice (No. 19, No. 24), and broke 47 records.

Breaux’s 2000 Crusaders finished 29-20, gained entry into the Region V tournament and advanced five games before losing by two runs to the eventual champion. The 2000 team also earned the first ever national ranking by an Evangel softball team. The Crusaders were ranked No. 21 on the Mar. 28 poll.

The 1999 team won more games than any team before it and finished at 34-19 (.642) - the best in school history at that point. Breaux’s 1999 squad not only won 34 games, but also won program’s third conference championship.

Breaux directed the 1998 Lady Crusaders to a 28-20 record. It was Evangel’s fourth consecutive season with 20 or more wins and the third with 25 or more victories. The team advanced to the Midwest Region Tournament for the first time in the history of the sport at EU, and the 28 wins tied the record for most wins ever by an Evangel softball team at that time. The 1998 squad finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).

In 1997 and 1996, Breaux and his Crusaders won back-to-back conference titles. Breaux won coach-of-the-year honors in the HAAC in 1997 while directing his team to its second conference championship with a 27-16-1 record. That season’s .625 winning percentage was the best ever in the history of the program at that time. In 1996, the Evangel women posted a 28-19 record, won the sports’ first HAAC title, and established a new school record by winning 12 games in a row.

The 1995 Lady Crusader squad finished 20-23, ended the conference race in the fifth spot and won the preseason league tourney, which included several non-conference foes.

Breaux’s first squad, the 1994 team, had a 10-24 record and advanced to the District 16 playoffs (discontinued by the NAIA in 1995) for the second straight year, finished third in the preseason conference tournament, and was undefeated at home.

Under Breaux’s guidance, his players have won 76 all-conference honors, including 37 first-team selections. In addition, his players have won 29 all-Region V honors and the sport’s first thru fifth all-America honors. In addition, his athletes have won 14 NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete honors.

At the end of the 2001 season, Summer Kimble was a first-team NAIA All-America pick (EU softball’s first) after winning conference and region player-of-the-year honors. Later, Kimble and Amy Hiatte became the first Evangel softball players to earn NFCA All-America laurels. Kimble was first team selection and Hiatte won honorable mention honors.

Jami Potter then earned second team NAIA All-America honors in 2005. In 2006 Kim Waltz was a second team NAIA All-America pick and Kimberly Williams was an honorable mention All-America selection.

As an Evangel student, Breaux earned two degrees. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in Biblical Studies in 1981 and a bachelor of science degree in psychology in 1982 from the university. Breaux earned his master’s degree in guidance and counseling at Missouri State University in 1986. While at Evangel, Breaux had his baseball playing career cut short by injury. He began to cultivate his coaching roots, however, as an Evangel baseball assistant coach from 1979-82.

Although he is well-known as a successful coach and as the recruiting coordinator for EU athletics, Breaux may be just as recognizable when he speaks. Since 1980, Breaux has handled the public address announcer’s job all EU home football and basketball games - a span of 27 seasons and over 900 games!

In the summer of 1996, Breaux coached the 18-and-under ASA Branson Stars fastpitch club, a team he helped start and coach when they were 14-and-under. From 1993-95, Breaux coached the Ozark (1993) and Nixa (1994-95) programs in the prestigious Springfield American Legion Baseball League. The 1994 Nixa team was the Royal Division Champ and finished as league runner-up. Both clubs won the team sportsmanship awards (Ozarks in 1993, Nixa in 1994 and 1995). During his time in the American Legion Baseball League, Breaux was a two-time coach of the year, first with Ozark in 1993 and then with Nixa in 1994.

From 1987-91 Breaux was the president and organizer of the Southwest Missouri America Amateur Baseball Congress (AABC) Stan Musial Baseball League (college division). He then founded and coached the Ozark Missouri Baseball Rangers. The Rangers won a record four consecutive Missouri State Championship in the AABC Stan Musial Division (1988-91). The team also made four Stan Musial regional tournament appearances, placing third in the 1989 nine-state tournament field in Eau Claire, Wis. Breaux turned in an outstanding 182-48 overall coaching record with the Rangers. In 1991, Breaux was selected to manage a Missouri college all-star baseball team in the “Amarillo Shoot-out”, the national baseball tournament for the AABC.

In addition to his duties as softball coach, athletics recruiting coordinator, longtime EU public address announcer and NAIA Region V softball chair, Breaux has been a guest writer for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. He is also a distributor and instructor of Rightview Pro Hitting Technology.

Breaux is from Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he graduated from LaGrange Senior High School in 1972. Breaux and his wife, Mary, reside in Ozark, Mo.