Keith Essary enters his first season as an assistant softball coach at UT Southern in 2025-26. He brings over 25 years of coaching experience across the high school, collegiate, and professional levels, with a proven track record of player development and team success.
Prior to joining the Firehawks, Essary spent two seasons as the assistant softball coach at the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain. During his time with the Bucks, the program compiled an impressive 80-34 overall record and established itself as one of the top JUCO teams in the region.
In 2023, Essary also served as an assistant baseball coach at NCAA Division II Lane College, where he worked with outfielders and hitters.
He previously held the role of head coach for the George County High School Lady Rebels in Mississippi (2015–2017), leading the program to consecutive playoff appearances. In 2016, he coached the East team to victory in the Mississippi Senior All-Star Game and was named both District Coach of the Year and Clarion Ledger Coach of the Year.
Essary's collegiate baseball coaching experience includes a 2014 stint as assistant coach at Morthland College, where he helped lead the program to a team batting average over .350 in its inaugural season. In 2011, he made his professional coaching debut as field manager of the White Sands Pupfish in the Pecos League, guiding the team to a 41-29 record and helping advance over a dozen players to higher levels of pro baseball.
Essary began his coaching career in 1996 by founding the Corinth Cobras, a semi-professional baseball team. He later established the Columbia Curve, which achieved multiple national rankings and appearances in the ASPBA, USBC, and NABA World Series events, peaking at No. 9 nationally.
In 2019, he was selected to coach the Team USA Military All-Stars on their national tour—an experience he considers one of the most meaningful of his career, blending his love of baseball with honoring America’s service members.
Essary earned his bachelor’s degree from Blue Mountain College in Mississippi. He and his wife, Emily, have three children: Madelyn, a nurse; Noah, a former Division II baseball player; and Ella, a 2025 high school graduate.
