Melissa King, who served as an assistant coach for St. Thomas University’s softball team, was named the head coach replacing Jeff Norman who’s retiring after 15 years at the helm.
Laura Courtley-Todd, STU director of athletics, made the announcement last week during a press conference when she introduced King as the new Bobcats head coach.
“Coach King is the ideal individual to succeed Coach Norman and guide the Bobcats for the years to come,” said Courtley-Todd. “We thank Coach Norman for the tremendous impact he has made on so many student-athletes over the years and rest assured knowing that Coach King will continue that legacy.
“Melissa will be a tremendous addition to the program in this new role,” added Norman. “She is uniquely qualified with a genuine purpose at heart that fits perfectly at STU.”
The 2017 St. Bobcats’ softball team was recently named the Buffalo Funds Five-Star NAIA Champions of Character Award winner for its excellence as a character-driven intercollegiate athletics program. Under King, who credits Norman as her mentor, the Bobcats are poised to continue their excellence in fulfilling the Champions of Character mission. King comes from a background that has prepared her to mold student-athletes both on and off the field.
King first arrived at St. Thomas as a student-athlete under Norman after a successful high school career at Plantation American Heritage where she was part of a state championship team as a senior.
She was a key part of the St. Thomas team that won The Sun Conference Championship and advanced to the NAIA National Championships for the first time in school history. King played catcher for the Bobcats as a senior before graduating in the Spring of 2012 from St. Thomas University with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.
In the Fall of 2015, King returned to her alma mater to serve as assistant coach with responsibilities including defense and catchers.
King, who began her duties as head coach on July 16, is highly appreciative of her apprenticeship under Norman and now ready for this next challenge.
“Coach Norman has poured so much in to me and taught me so much," said King. "I am so thankful for all that he has done in teaching me how to change student-athletes’ lives for the better. I am ready to do my best in achieving exactly that.”