Kate McCarty

Clarkdale athletic director Scott Gibson said Tuesday that, pending board approval, the school will hire Kate McCarty as its new softball coach.

McCarty’s coaching resume includes head coaching stints at Starkville Academy and East Mississippi Community College, the latter at which she spent two years as an assistant and four years as head coach. She will come to Clarkdale after having most recently served as EMCC’s director of wellness and intramurals.

McCarty will replace former Lady Bulldogs head coach Emily Howard, who departed in April after a three-year tenure at the school.

“We kind of had a lengthy search, and it seemed like we kept hitting some roadblocks,” Gibson said. “So we came across Kate, and we sat down with her, and she kind of checked all the boxes. She’s someone who has head coaching experience at the high school and junior college level; she’s recruited several of our players who have played for us.”

McCarty learned of the opening shortly after Howard’s departure, and although she hadn’t planned on leaving EMCC, the more she contemplated the new opportunity the more intrigued she became.

“I saw on the news that Emily was leaving, but I wasn’t even interested or looking for a new job — I actually loved the job I had, and it was really a nice job,” McCarty said. “My family is here, but I just felt led to go. I was contacted by one of their employees who asked if I was interested, and I said, ‘Not really, but I’d be willing to talk.’ And then the more it came, the more I was excited and wanted to hear what they had to say. So it just seemed like a perfect fit for my family.”

McCarty brings with her a familiarity with the Clarkdale program. As head coach at EMCC, she regularly recruited players from the school, and as a player at Meridian Community College, she was teammates with Clarkdale products Kacie and Robbi Roberson. She also has a 10-year-old stepson who attends Clarkdale.

“I’ve been around the program for quite a while, and have actually taken extra (batting practice) on the field as a player at MCC,” McCarty said. “It’s always a quality program. They’re going to have great athletes, but not only athletes, the kids who come from there are usually some of my better kids academic-wise and on and off the field. They just produce for you and are good pillars in the community.”

Clarkdale went 15-12-1 last season and reached the first round of the MHSAA Class 2A playoffs, where the Lady Bulldogs were defeated by Perry Central.

“We think Coach Howard did a phenomenal job of getting things back going for us, and we feel like the program is in really good shape,” Gibson said.