The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Athletic Department and Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Adrian Rodriguez named Mark Montgomery as the next Head Softball Coach on June 25, 2025. 
 
Montgomery becomes the ninth leader in Islanders Softball history and brings 23 years of collegiate head coaching experience to the Island, including 20 spent at the Division I level. He most recently served as the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2020-23.
 
Montgomery completed his fourth season at the helm of the Maryland softball program with a record-setting 2023 season where he led the Terps to a 38-19 season, their most wins since 2011. Maryland picked up ranked wins over #3 Oklahoma State and #22 Oregon, leading the Terps to a dominant tournament season 22-5 record. Montgomery led the Terps to a program record .977 fielding percentage, which led the Big Ten, while the team also hit 36 home runs on the season, the program’s most since 2013. Maryland made their first postseason appearance since 2012 at the NISC Tournament, the program's fifth postseason appearance overall, and they finished as semifinalists.

In 2022, Montgomery led the Terps to a 29-23 season, their most wins since the 2013 season at the time. Maryland's 14 conference wins that year marked the most since joining the Big Ten in 2015. The Terps also recorded a program high fifth-place finish since joining the conference. Montgomery also led the Terps to their first-ever Big Ten conference tournament victory over Michigan State in the opening round.

Montgomery recorded his 600th career win against North Dakota State, the team's first Big Ten series sweep since 2018. The offensive power continued for Maryland as five players hit over .300. The team finished second in the NCAA in stolen bases with 127 on the season.

In 2021, a season in which the Terps only faced Big Ten opponents, Maryland finished with a 19-25 overall record, notching two victories over ranked opponents. Montgomery produced the first Big Ten Freshman of the Year in program history that season in Jaeda McFarland.

Montgomery's first season as head coach of Maryland was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Terps closed out the season with a 12-11 record in 2020.

Montgomery was fresh off winning 2019 Conference USA Co-Coach of the Year honors after leading Louisiana Tech to conference regular season and tournament championships before heading to Maryland.

From 2013-19, Montgomery spent the seven years as head coach at Louisiana Tech, guiding the program to two conference tournament championships (2017, 2019), two NCAA Regional appearances (2017, 2019) and five consecutive 30+ win seasons. Prior to his arrival at LA Tech, the program had recorded just one 30+ win season in its previous 23 years.

In his last regular season in Ruston, Montgomery led Louisiana Tech to 45 wins, the program’s first regular season conference title and a second C-USA Tournament title and NCAA Regional appearance in the last three years. The 45 victories were the second most in program history while Tech’s 19 C-USA wins were the most ever.

Prior to Louisiana Tech, Montgomery served as the head coach at Georgetown (Ky.) from 2001-02, Centenary from 2003-10 and Northern Colorado from 2011-12.

The Kentucky native has led his teams to 16 winning seasons, including 13 seasons of 30+ wins and 16 with 25+ victories.

While at Centenary, he led the program to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005, and won more than 200 games, including upset victories over Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, Minnesota, Syracuse, Boston College and New Mexico.

Montgomery led Centenary to the program’s first winning season in 13 years in 2004 and a program record-tying 36 victories as Centenary captured the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament championship and advanced to the school’s first-ever NCAA Tournament. The following season saw Montgomery and the Ladies win 31 games, capture their second straight Mid-Continent Tournament title and return to the NCAA Tournament.

Following Centenary’s decision to drop down to Division III, Montgomery coached the Ladies in 2009 and then accepted the head coaching position at Northern Colorado where he led the program to back-to-back second place finishes in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Mountain Division each season while being named the PCSC Mountain Division Coach of the Year in 2011. The 2012 team won a school record 25 games and broke 21 school records.

Montgomery’s teams have always been highly successful away from the softball diamond as each one of them has registered a team grade point average above 3.0 for the past 15 years. His 2001 team at Georgetown College posted a cumulative GPA that ranked in the top 10 of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Academic Teams. His Northern Colorado team in 2012 finished ranked No. 2 in the country in team GPA.

Prior to his collegiate coaching experience, Montgomery served as the softball coach at Lafayette (Ky.) High School where he won seven district titles, five regional titles and one state championship title while posting a 170-73 record.

He earned his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Kentucky in 1992 and his master’s degree from Georgetown College in 2000.

Montgomery has a fiancé, Alice Smith, and three daughters: Bailey, Emma and Adrienne.
 
COLLEGIATE COACHING EXPERIENCE

• 2001-02: Georgetown (KY), Head Coach (72-31 overall, 44-11 conference)
• 2003-10: Centenary, Head Coach (216-226 overall, 90-67 conference)
• 2011-12: Northern Colorado, Head Coach 43-63 overall, 23-17 conference)
• 2013-19: Louisiana Tech, Head Coach (226-163 overall, 92-66 conference)
• 2020-23: Maryland, Head Coach (654-561 overall, 44-43 conference)

 Career Record:654-561 overall (.538 pct), 283-204 conference (.581 pct)
 
COACHING HONORS

• 2019 C-USA Softball Coach of the Year / Louisiana Coach of the Year / NFCA Mid-East Regional Coach of the Year
• 2017 Named Louisiana Sports Writers Softball Coach of the Year
• 2015 Won Conference USA SAAC All Sport Coaches Award
• 2011 Voted Pacific Coast Softball Conference - Mountain Division Coach of the Year
• 2004 Voted into Kentucky Prep Softball Hall of Fame
• 2002 Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year
• Selected as Coach of KY High School's East All Star Team in Softball in 1998 and 1999
• Selected as 1992 Kentucky Soccer Coach of the Year

 
COACHING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Thirty-two years softball coaching experience
• Won 858 Total Games
• Organized and helped oversee construction of the new on-campus softball facilities at Georgetown College, Centenary, and LA Tech
• Raised close to a million dollars towards program development including stadium construction
• 2023 First Post Season Appearance for Maryland Softball in over a decade
• 2023 Best record since joining the B1G Conference
• 2022-23 3.6 Team GPA Top 20 Nationally
• 2022 Best finish in B1G Conference Standings ever
• 2022 Highest Team GPA in Athletic Department
• 16 Team records in four years at the University of Maryland
• 2018-2020 C-USA Representative to NFCA Head Softball Coaches Committee
• 21 Team records in last seven seasons at Louisiana Tech University
• 2019 Conference USA Regular Season and Tournament Champions
• 2019 NCAA Regional Appearance
• 2017 Conference USA Tournament Champions
• 2017 NCAA Regional Appearance
• 2015-2016 Multiple Player and Team Awards at Louisiana Tech
• 2011-2012 PCSC Representative to NFCA Head Softball Coaches Committee
• 2011 Team GPA ranked in NFCA Top 10 of NCAA Division I
• 2009 Only sport at Centenary to go to conference tournament every year while in Summit League
• 2006-2009 Summit League Conference Representative to NFCA Head Softball Coaches Committee
• 2008 Finished with Number 1 seed in Conference Tournament
• 2005 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Champions
• 2004 & 2005 NCAA Regional Appearance
• 2004 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Champions
• 2004 Team GPA 3.385 ranked in NFCA Division I Top 20 All Academic Teams
• 2001 & 2002 Mid-South Conference Tournament Champions
• 2002 Mid-South Regular Season Conference Champions
• 2002 NAIA Regional Runner-Up
• 2001 Team GPA ranked in NFCA NAIA Top 10 All Academic Teams

 
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT MARK MONTGOMERY:
Shonda Stanton - University of Indiana, Head Softball Coach: "Mark has elevated every program he touches. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is getting a coach with proven ability to build success quickly. Competing against him through the years, I always knew his teams were well-prepared, fundamentally sound, and played an aggressive, high-energy style of softball that's both tough and exciting to watch. Mark will hit the ground running and work to create a distinct identity for the Islanders." 

Gerry Glasco - Texas Tech, Head Softball Coach: "Winner!!! This is a huge exciting time if you are a fan of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball! Coach Montgomery is a winner, proven and tested over and over. He can recruit and develop with the very best in college softball and will thrive in Corpus Christi! I am super excited to see him guide the Islanders softball program to the top of the Southland Conference!" 

Karen Weekly - University of Tennessee, Head Softball Coach: "Mark is an excellent hire! He is an innovative offensive coach and will build teams that are fast, dynamic, and always play hard. His student-athletes will be winners both on and off the field."

Glenn Moore - Baylor, Head Softball Coach: "Great hire! The hiring of Mark Montgomery is not only great for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, but also the Southland Conference and NCAA Softball."

Kenny Gajewski - Oklahoma State, Head Softball Coach: "I'm thrilled for Mark and for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. I've known Mark for many years and he's a great man, a strong leader, and an oustanding coach. He has the pedigree and the character to not only succeed at this level, but also develop young women into strong, confident leaders. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll do great things in this next chapter."