Sports
Ohio Softball Adds McMichael To Staff
By: Kellen Becoats
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Ohio University softball coach Jodi Hermanek announced that Iyhia McMichael will be brought on as an assistant coach this season.
McMichael comes to the softball coaching staff after working as the head coach of Central Heights High School in Nacogdoches, Texas for the past four years. While there, she coached the Blue Devils to the State Softball Tournament from 2011-to-2013.
She also has experienced success, herself, at the professional level and collegiate level at Mississippi State.
The former Lady Bulldog was voted SEC Player of the Year in 2003 and was named to the 2003 NFCA First-Team All American. She was also selected to the All-SEC Team from 2001-to-2003 and was a two-time SEC Player of the Week selection.
After her standout performances in the SEC, McMichael was drafted by the Akron Racers in the 2004 National Professional Fastpitch Senior Draft with the first-overall pick. And in her first season as a professional, McMichael was named the 2004 NPF Offensive Player of the Year and was also named an NPF All-Star and batting champion during her rookie season.
McMichael was highly successful in the NPF, winning the 2005 NPF championship with the Racers, while also gaining MVP honors in the 2005 NPF All-Star game. She hit .400 with 11 home runs, 35 RBIs, 56 runs and 13 steals throughout the regular season.
McMichael then moved into coaching, taking on an assistant coaching job at the University of Virginia after the 2005 NPF season. She also worked at Stephen F. Austin State University and Trinity University.
She joins Ohio after the team went 32-26 and won its first-ever conference tournament title, as well as returning to the NCAA postseason for the first time in 19 years.