ODESSA, Texas — Odessa College has named Doug Eastman as their new head softball coach. This comes after former head coach Jeff Jackson left the program for Division I program Stephen F. Austin State University back in June.
Eastman comes to Odessa after spending the 2022-23 season as the head softball coach over at Texas A&M Kingsville. He also brings junior college experience to West Texas, coaching Yavapai College from 2014-2022. The team was the number one team on the NJCAA standings in 2022, and Eastman earned the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Milestone Achievement award with 833 career wins.
"Coach Eastman comes to our program with a unique set of skills," OC athletic director Wayne Baker said. "He has experience as a very successful head softball coach for the past 20 years, a former professional baseball player, and the former owner of a top-ranked softball/baseball hitting school. We believe that his experience and his skills will be extremely valuable in developing our student-athletes and continuing to build on the strong record that is Odessa College Softball."
"I'm very excited to be a part of the OC family, their tradition, and the program's history," Eastman said after he accepted the position. "I'm also excited about Dr. Williams and his leaders, and working with Athletic Director Wayne Baker. I know what they expect and I have the opportunity to do something very special - which is moving this program one step closer to a national championship and building elite women athletes."
The Wrangler softball team is coming off an impressive season. The team was ranked the number one team on the NJCAA polls for several weeks, finishing the third in the Women's College World Series.
Eastman was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1984, and spent his career in the minors before a wrist injury caused him to shift into a coaching role.
Prior to his stint at Yavapai, Eastman was the head softball coach for 12 years at his alma mater, College of the Siskiyous in Northern California, where he coached his team to an overall 301-24 record over seven seasons.