Former Lake softball coach Eric Neel argues a call at home plate during a game this past season. Neel was recently hired as East Central Community College’s fast-pitch softball coach.

Eric Neel is still a little surprised that he’s the head softball coach at East Central Community College. 

Neel most recently guided Lake High School to a 22-7 record last season during a year that saw the Lady Hornets reaching their first-ever state championship contest.  An unexpected exit by Kristin Chaney in May, however, presented an opportunity Neel felt was just too good to pass up. 

“I never anticipated that this job would ever open, and that’s just an honest statement,” Neel, 42, said. “You’re talking about one of the top five junior college jobs in Division II softball in the country at East Central.” 

Neel interviewed for the position on June 16 and accepted it the same day. East Central’s commitment to improving its softball program and the long-term vision for a commitment to quality athletics resonated with Neel. East Central president Dr. Billy Stewart did his part, too. 

“Dr. Stewart missed his calling as a salesman; he is really good,” Neel said with a laugh. “The whole process surprised me. I had always heard East Central might not be the most forward-moving school in athletics, but whoever started that rumor was not true. What they sold me on in a two-hour span blew my mind.”

East Central will be Neel’s third college head coaching position, as he led programs at Baton Rouge Community College and Darton State College in Albany, Georgia. Neel’s Darton State squad finished in the top 10 nationally after posting a 46-12 record and winning a regional championship in 2014. At Baton Rouge Community College, Neel’s 14 wins in 2015-16 tripled the team’s win total the previous year.

At the high school level, Neel’s teams have won five state championships and played in seven state championship series. Neel has had head coaching stints at East Central, Wayne County, Biloxi, Lake and Quitman high schools. 

Neel and his wife, Lindsey, have six children, and the couple is expecting another. Lindsey Neel will teach at Newton County High School in the fall, and she has familial ties to the area. 

“My wife is from Enterprise, so this gets us close enough to her home, and it lets me coach on the level I’ve always wanted to coach on,” Neel said. “I’ve never been (at) a Mississippi junior college, and it’s one of the best leagues in the country. They sold me within 10 minutes of the interview.”

Despite spending just one year at Lake, Neel said his time spent there was enjoyable and has left a lasting impression.

“I’ll be honest with you — in all the high school programs I’ve been in, Lake, Mississippi, was probably the most enjoyable one I’ve ever experienced,” Neel said. “They were top notch in everything, and very, very friendly. Some of them even helped me move my stuff… Luckily, I’m only about 15, 20 minutes from them.”

Neel inherits a Lady Warriors program that tallied 233 wins over the last six years with Chaney. Neel said Chaney’s incoming recruiting class will ensure continued success, and he plans to expand on her accomplishments. 

“Kristin has done such a good job of getting this thing to where it is — I’m just going to be the lucky one that gets to maybe get a lot more gratification out of it,” Neel said.