SIUE Softball Coaching Staff

		Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Softball	SIUE Softball SIUE Athletics

Last updated August 12, 2008

Sandy Montgomery
Head Coach Sandy Montgomery
          One of the most successful coaches in school history, Coach Sandy Montgomery begins her 21st season as the head coach of the Cougar softball team. This season, Montgomery and her Cougars move to the next level with a complete NCAA Division I schedule.
          Success has been the norm for Montgomery. No matter the level, Montgomery always has found it. With nine consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and two bids to the national finals in 2006 and 2007, Montgomery's coaching resume is among the nation's finest.
          Montgomery and her 2007 softball team captured the NCAA Division II Championship in the longest game in national finals history, defeating Lock Haven 3-2 in 12 innings.
          The Cougars also are looking forward as the university's "fast-track" women's sport. That will enable SIUE to become eligible for NCAA Championships during the 2011 season. The Cougars, which recently became members of the Ohio Valley Conference, also will compete in the OVC schedules and look to qualify for the OVC Championships for the first time in 2011.
          Now an associate athletic director for SIUE, Montgomery has been a model for success. A 2006 member of the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame as a student-athlete, she has transitioned from player to assistant coach to head coach to administrator.
          Her success also was confirmed by her 2001 induction into the Illinois Amateur Softball Association's Hall of Fame. Montgomery has earned the GLVC's Coach of the Year honor four times. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association also named SIUE the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year three times, including the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In 2007, Montgomery's staff was named the National Staff of the Year.
          Montgomery's teams not only succeed on the field, but in the classroom as well. In 2005, Alicia DeShasier, Shanna Waldo, and Holly Neuerberg earned Academic All-District honors as voted on by ESPN The Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
          On the field, Montgomery has coached 11 All-Americans and 49 players with All-Region status.
          Montgomery has posted a record of 731-335-2 since taking the head coaching position in 1989. She has led the Cougars to the NCAA Division II National Tournament 11 times and won the GLVC Tournament five times, including back-to-back-to-back in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The 2008 season marked the 13th consecutive season of 30 wins or more.
          Before taking over the head coaching duties, the Casey native served as an assistant coach for three years to SIUE's first-ever Head Coach Cindy Jones.
          Montgomery finished out her collegiate softball career at SIUE, where she became one of the most successful pitchers in the school's history. She holds numerous records as a Cougar, including most victories (84), most shutouts (42), most strikeouts (659) and best career record (84-26 .764). As a senior, Montgomery tallied a record of 30-8 in 250 innings and recorded a 0.64 earned run average. Also in her senior year, she was named a Central region All-American and voted Most Valuable Player.
          Montgomery graduated from SIUE with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1986. In 1988, she earned her master's degree in physical education from SIUE.

Kelly Rhyne

Assistant Coach Kelly Rhyne
          Kelly Rhyne begins her second season as the assistant coach for the defending national champion softball team at SIUE.
          Rhyne comes from Angelo State University, which advanced to the NCAA Division II national championships in 2007. She served as a graduate assistant coach for the Rambelles for two seasons. She earned a master's degree in kinesiology from Angelo State in 2007.
          As a player, Rhyne started at New Mexico State but then transferred for her final three seasons to Texas Tech, where she ranks in the top five all-time in hits (153), home runs (15), runs batted in (84) and doubles (30). Her .308 career batting average is tied for sixth best all-time at Texas Tech.
          Rhyne started all 48 games her senior season with a team-leading 11 doubles. The starting left fielder for the Red Raiders, Rhyne posted a perfect fielding percentage and finished second in hits with 34.
          In her junior year, Rhyne earned first team All-Big 12, second team All-Region, and second team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
          She earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport sciences in August 2005 from Texas Tech. Her undergraduate career included two first team Academic All-Big 12 certificates as well as the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll every semester at Texas Tech.
          Rhyne attended Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas, where she honored as the state tournament Most Valuable Player while guiding her team to a state championship in 2001.

	Head Coach Sandy Montgomery One of the most successful coaches in school history, Coach Sandy Montgomery begins her 21st season as the head coach of the Cougar softball team. This season, Montgomery and her Cougars move to the next level with a complete NCAA Division I schedule. Success has been the norm for Montgomery. No matter the level, Montgomery always has found it. With nine consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament and two bids to the national finals in 2006 and 2007, Montgomery's coaching resume is among the nation's finest. Montgomery and her 2007 softball team captured the NCAA Division II Championship in the longest game in national finals history, defeating Lock Haven 3-2 in 12 innings. The Cougars also are looking forward as the university's "fast-track" women's sport. That will enable SIUE to become eligible for NCAA Championships during the 2011 season. The Cougars, which recently became members of the Ohio Valley Conference, also will compete in the OVC schedules and look to qualify for the OVC Championships for the first time in 2011. Now an associate athletic director for SIUE, Montgomery has been a model for success. A 2006 member of the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame as a student-athlete, she has transitioned from player to assistant coach to head coach to administrator. Her success also was confirmed by her 2001 induction into the Illinois Amateur Softball Association's Hall of Fame. Montgomery has earned the GLVC's Coach of the Year honor four times. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association also named SIUE the Regional Coaching Staff of the Year three times, including the 2006 and 2007 seasons. In 2007, Montgomery's staff was named the National Staff of the Year. Montgomery's teams not only succeed on the field, but in the classroom as well. In 2005, Alicia DeShasier, Shanna Waldo, and Holly Neuerberg earned Academic All-District honors as voted on by ESPN The Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). On the field, Montgomery has coached 11 All-Americans and 49 players with All-Region status. Montgomery has posted a record of 731-335-2 since taking the head coaching position in 1989. She has led the Cougars to the NCAA Division II National Tournament 11 times and won the GLVC Tournament five times, including back-to-back-to-back in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The 2008 season marked the 13th consecutive season of 30 wins or more. Before taking over the head coaching duties, the Casey native served as an assistant coach for three years to SIUE's first-ever Head Coach Cindy Jones. Montgomery finished out her collegiate softball career at SIUE, where she became one of the most successful pitchers in the school's history. She holds numerous records as a Cougar, including most victories (84), most shutouts (42), most strikeouts (659) and best career record (84-26 .764). As a senior, Montgomery tallied a record of 30-8 in 250 innings and recorded a 0.64 earned run average. Also in her senior year, she was named a Central region All-American and voted Most Valuable Player. Montgomery graduated from SIUE with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1986. In 1988, she earned her master's degree in physical education from SIUE.
	Assistant Coach Kelly Rhyne Kelly Rhyne begins her second season as the assistant coach for the defending national champion softball team at SIUE. Rhyne comes from Angelo State University, which advanced to the NCAA Division II national championships in 2007. She served as a graduate assistant coach for the Rambelles for two seasons. She earned a master's degree in kinesiology from Angelo State in 2007. As a player, Rhyne started at New Mexico State but then transferred for her final three seasons to Texas Tech, where she ranks in the top five all-time in hits (153), home runs (15), runs batted in (84) and doubles (30). Her .308 career batting average is tied for sixth best all-time at Texas Tech. Rhyne started all 48 games her senior season with a team-leading 11 doubles. The starting left fielder for the Red Raiders, Rhyne posted a perfect fielding percentage and finished second in hits with 34. In her junior year, Rhyne earned first team All-Big 12, second team All-Region, and second team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. She earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sport sciences in August 2005 from Texas Tech. Her undergraduate career included two first team Academic All-Big 12 certificates as well as the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll every semester at Texas Tech. Rhyne attended Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas, where she honored as the state tournament Most Valuable Player while guiding her team to a state championship in 2001.