CONWAY, Ark.  _  David Kuhn has resigned as the University of Central Arkansas' head softball coach, with associate head coach Jenny Parsons taking over the program, according to UCA's director of athletics Dr. Brad Teague.

Kuhn, the winningest coach in UCA history with 380 career victories, is headed back to his home state of Mississippi to be the head coach at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Miss. Kuhn, who began at UCA in 2009, led the Bears to a 37-19 overall mark and a 21-6 Southland Conference record and second-place finish in his final season in 2021. 

"We want to thank Coach Kuhn for putting our program in a great place,' said Teague, who also worked with Kuhn at Delta State. "His consistency in placing our program at an elite level is a testament to his efforts and abilities. We wish him the best and further success in his new endeavor. 

"Coach Kuhn also brought Coach Parsons to our program. She has been a crucial component of our success over the past decade. Having been a head coach prior to coming to UCA, Jenny is the perfect choice to lead our talented young ladies into our new conference. I'm excited to see what she can do with her staff.'

Parsons, a Glen Burnie, Md. native and a former record-setting pitcher at East Carolina University, has been UCA's pitching coach for the past 10 years and associate head coach since 2012. She came to UCA in 2011 from an eight-year stint as head coach at Nicholls State, a fellow member of the Southland Conference, where she led the Colonels to four postseason appearances in her final six seasons, including an SLC Tournament championship in 2008.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to continue what we've done here for the last 10 years I've been here and the last 13 that Coach Kuhn has been here,' said Parsons. "We're going in the right direction and I'm looking forward to keeping it moving in that direction.

"I really love the town, the university itself, the administration, Dr. Teague, Natalie (Shock), Darrell (Walsh), President (Houston) Davis... they've all been so accommodating to really anything that we've needed the last 10 years. And I'm a mid-major kind of girl.' 

Parsons said she sees no major changes in a program that has had solid success since moving to NCAA Division I in 2007. The UCA coaching staff will retain assistant Chris Watford and promote volunteer assistant Kayla Lucas to a full-time position. Parsons will continue as the pitching coach, with Watford handling the outfield and Lucas the infield, with the entire staff combining on hitting. Lucas will coach third base and Watford will remain at first, according to Parsons.

"I've been hands on with what we've been doing here since I've been here and I expect it to keep going the same way,' said Parsons. "I think we're going to continue to try and develop talent, recruit talented players and develop them when they get here, same as we've been doing.'
 

Parsons is excited about the addition of Lucas to the full-time staff.

"I'm looking forward to having Kayla Lucas run our infield defense,' she said. "She brings a lot of passion and competitive nature to our program. She was a really big help coming in last year in our volunteer role. She has so much experience as a Division II head coach that has played at the national level. Played for a national championship in Division II in 2019. 

"I like that she's bringing that championship mindset to our program. Her teams were consistently in regionals, super regionals and the world series. I love that she brings that mindset to recruiting and to coaching and to teaching.'

Parsons has helped elevate the UCA program to a period of unparalleled success since joining the Bears. In addition to an NCAA Regional berth and the SLC Tournament title in 2015, Parsons has helped raise the Bears' average wins per season to 31 per year. The Bears have qualified for the Southland Conference Tournament in nine of the 10 full seasons with Parsons on the staff. During her first two seasons with the Bears, the program twice broke the record for most wins in a season with 36 in 2012 and 38 in 2013. UCA finished one win short of tying that record with 37 wins this season.

At Nicholls, Parsons coached the SLC Player of the Year, four All-SLC selections, two All-Louisiana selections, one All-Region pick and one All-American. Prior to her time at NSU, Parsons spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater East Carolina. With her pitching expertise, she helped a 2000 ECU pitching staff set school records for strikeouts (421) and wins (60). Under the tutelage of Parsons, ECU captured its first conference title and first NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
 
Parsons is a 2016 East Carolina University Hall of Fame inductee, where she was a two-sport student-athlete and four-year letterwinner from 1991-1994. At her time of graduation, Parsons held nine program records in the circle. She was the all-time leader in ERA (1.52), innings pitched (969.1), shutouts (34) and wins (102) while also tossing 100 complete games and striking out well over 400 batters.

"When Coach Kuhn brought me here 10 years ago, it really changed my career,' said Parsons. "I was a head coach and I left that to come here and be an assistant coach for him. And it re-ignited the fire that I have. I really like teaching the game and coaching the game, and he helped bring that back in me. I was just burned out where I was. But coming here and just being able to coach and learn and grow as a person and as a coach, I know I'm in a better place to be a head coach here than I was when I first started there.'

Parsons received her bachelor's degree in leisure system studies from ECU in 1994 and later earned a master's degree in athletic administration from ECU in 1996.