JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College athletic department is excited to announce the hiring of Leslie Messina as the next head coach of the Lady Blues softball program.
Messina comes to IC from Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois where she was the head coach of the Beavers since 2021 and the Senior Woman Administrator since 2022. While at BC, Messina achieved a personal coaching milestone of 400 career wins and guided 10 student-athletes to National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar-Athlete honors.
During 2012-2020, Messina directed all phases of the Kilgore College softball program in Kilgore, Texas where she achieved KC's first regional tournament bid in 2017 and received it's first regional tournament win in 2019. She has recently been announced as a new inductee to the Kilgore College Hall of Fame.
Prior to Kilgore College, Messina was the head softball coach at Texarkana College from 2004-2012 where she lead the Bulldogs to five regional tournament appearances. She was named NFCA Midwest Division I Coaching Staff of the Year in 2007, and Region XIV Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2012.
"I want to thank
Meghan Roman, Director of Athletics, and the search committee for this incredible opportunity to lead the IC Softball program. I am very humbled to be given the honor to continue the success of Lady Blues Softball that Coach Roman has established," said Messina.
Messina graduated with her Masters in Kinesiology with an emphasis in coaching from Georgia Southern University in 2001 and a bachelor's in exercise science and sports medicine from the University of Evansville (Ind.) in 1999.
