PARKS NAMED ASSISTANT SOFTBALL COACH

PETERSBURG, Va., (August 19, 2015) – Kelli Parks, who was a four-year starter for the Marshall University softball team and boasts six years college coaching experience, including helping lead Campbell University to the 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship, has been named an Assistant Softball Coach and Coordinator of Recreation at Richard Bland College. The announcement came from Chuck Moore, Director of Athletics and Head Men's Basketball Coach.

Parks arrives to Richard Bland from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she served as an Admission Coordinator at the School of Dentistry. Previously, Parks was a Regional Admissions Counselor at Campbell University (2011-2014), where she served as an assistant softball coach from 2005-08. While at Campbell she helped lead the Fighting Camels to the 2008 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Division I Championship Regionals. Parks, who starred as an outfielder at Marshall, helped foster at Campbell team that clubbed 64 home runs and had a .468 team slugging percentage in 2008.

At Campbell, Parks also served as an Assistant to the Athletics Director, managing game day operations for the football and basketball programs and administering in the Thundering Herd customer service and ticket system initiatives.

"This is an exciting time for Statesmen Athletics with the addition of Kelli Parks as our Coordinator of Recreation and assistant softball coach," said Moore. "Kelli brings a wealth of experience in both areas, and her years spent playing and coaching at the Division I level will be invaluable to our program. Her enthusiasm will be contagious for all those around her as they pursue the mission of Richard Bland and of the Athletic Department.  I could not feel more blessed to be able to attract a staff member with a high character, passion, and work ethic of Kelli."

A native of Huntington, West Virginia, Parks played outfield for the Thundering Herd from 1999-2002, and holds the school record for most games played in a season (67), achieved in the 1999 season. Parks was part of the 2000 Marshall team that were the Mid-American Conference East Division champions with a 13-7 conference record.

Parks additionally honed her softball talents as a player for the West Virginia Dusters, a team her father founded. Along with being a player on the team prior to, and after college, Parks coached the Dusters for two seasons.

Parks graduated from Marshall in 2003 with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a Minor in Psychology.

"I am very honored and excited to be part of the Statesmen family and to get back into college coaching," Parks said. "This year will be very exciting as we aim to defend last year's regular season title, claim the Regional title and make a mark in the national stage. I have been very impressed with what I seen of the players so far, and I can't wait to get on the field to see them in action. We have a wonderful staff and team that is definitely going to make some noise in the conference."

Prior to embarking on her professional career, Parks was an assistant softball coach at the University of Indianapolis in the 2005 season.

Parks, her husband Matt and daughter Julia, reside in Glen Allen, VA.