NEW ORLEANS – Dillard University has announced that Jack Lewis has taken over as head coach of the newly added softball program.
Lewis previously served as a head coach at Shenandoah High School located in Middletown, Indiana, and collegiate assistant coach at Taylor University and Butler University. Lewis brings over 35 years of knowledge in softball to his new role and has an extensive history of winning.
“I’m excited to add Coach Lewis to our staff,” said Dr. Linda Bell, director of athletics. “As we start this new journey of softball, I have full faith that Jack will be able to elevate this program to national notoriety while still cultivating leaders.”
Coach Lewis comes to Dillard after serving as the hitting coach for his alma mater Taylor University for the last seven years. Lewis spent the past seven years helping to make Taylor University one of the top teams in the NAIA Crossroads League Conference. During his tenure at Taylor University, the team qualified for the national tournament three times (2017, 2019 and 2022). In 2021, Taylor won 42 games, but missed the National tournament because of criteria. They were off to one of the best starts in school history, until COVID hit. Taylor had three All-Americans during this tenure, and received national ranking recognition every year. The offensive statistics that university players achieved during those seven years were among the highest in school history.
“I am very honored to be the first head softball coach at Dillard University”, said Lewis. “I believe God has brought the two of us together, and I believe great things are going to happen in his name. I would like to publicly thank our Athletic Director, Dr. Linda Bell, for showing her confidence and faith in me to get this job done. I relish this challenge and see it as an awesome opportunity to represent this University, and to build their first softball program. It is important to me that these young women grow, academically, spiritually, and physically.”
In 2014, Lewis was hired as an assistant coach at Butler University. He was hired under the direction of Scott Hall who taught him the ins and outs of collegiate athletics. While at Butler, he worked as the outfield coach, first base coach, as well as assisting Coach Hall with hitting. The experience Lewis gained at Butler is what helped guide his career.
Lewis accepted the head baseball position at Shenandoah after serving as the head softball coach. He was the head baseball coach for over two decades. During his tenure, Lewis became the All-Time Wins Leader as head baseball coach at Shenandoah High School.
Lewis initially began coaching as the head softball coach at Shenandoah High School. In that six-year tenure, Shenandoah went on to win over 100 games. Lewis led the small-town team, with just over 400 students in their high school, to a state championship berth. They accomplished this before the schools were separated by class which meant they had to compete against much larger schools. The teams during his tenure had five first-team All-State performers as well as Miss Indiana Softball, Crystal Inman. He also had the opportunity to coach the Indiana South All-Star team in 1996.
Lewis earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Taylor University. He later received a degree in education from Anderson University. Lewis worked as a teacher in the public school system in Indiana for 35 years, while at the same time coaching on the collegiate level for the last nine years. Lewis also has provided hitting lessons for the past five years at 5 Tool Baseball/Softball Academy, where many of the hitters have transitioned on to the collegiate level.
{Courtesy: release from Dillard Athletics}