PEORIA, Ill. -- Benet Higgs has joined the Bradley softball program as an assistant coach, announced by sixth-year Bradley softball head coach Amy Hayes Tuesday.
Higgs comes to The Hilltop after spending the previous two years at Army and has three years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level. During her two-year tenure with the Black Knights, Army combined for a 72-47 (.605) record and had the first back-to-back seasons with 35 or more wins in program history.
The 2013 season saw the Black Knights make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 and during Higgs' two years at West Point Army produced four all-region selections. In addition, Army boasted 11 All-Patriot League selections, including seven First-Team All-Patriot League honorees, along with the 2012 Pitcher and Rookie of the Year during her tenure.
“I am thrilled Benet will be joining us on The Hilltop,” said Hayes. “She has been making a positive name for herself in the coaching ranks as one of our sport's young and talented assistant coaches. Benet comes to us with good coaching experience, illustrating along the way a strong devotion to the game as well as the coaching profession. I believe her softball experiences as both a player and coach will be extremely beneficial to our student-athletes and their championship experience.”
A 2010 graduate of Stephen F. Austin, Higgs was an assistant coach at South Dakota State for the 2011 season and served as a student assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin in 2010 where she helped the Ladyjacks to their first regular-season Southland Conference title.
Higgs earned honorable mention All-Southland Conference honors as a sophomore at Stephen F. Austin, hitting leadoff and playing center field for the Ladyjacks while leading the squad in runs (27) and stolen bases (19). She started 155 of her 181 games played during her collegiate career. During her junior season, Higgs hit .317 to help lead the Ladyjacks to the first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
An Antioch, Calif., native, Higgs earned bachelor's degrees in both business economics and operations management.
