Marquette, MI – August 7th, 2025 – The softball community mourns the loss of a local coach, John Garris, who was involved in single-car accident this past weekend. Garris coached only one season at Bay College, last year, and will be remembered for his enthusiasm and caring leadership style.
Garris had a diverse coaching career, beginning as an assistant coach at Shelton State Community College and Delta State University. During his time in these positions, he achieved the highest ranking position within the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) by completing a four-star Master’s coaching program. As a result of his expertise, Garris organized numerous camps and clinics aimed at educating both athletes and coaches.
Garris served as the head coach at Delta State University from 1993 to 1998; during that time, he achieved an impressive turnaround for the program. Winning three division championships and becoming the fastest coach to reach 150 wins in the program’s history, earning the Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year award in 1997. Following his success at Delta State, he moved to Division I, working as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2004 to 2013, with stints at Rutgers (2004-2006), Samford (2007-2009), and Louisiana Tech (2012-2013).
Garris then became the head coach at Southern University, where he led the team for eight years. Under his leadership, Southern made consistent postseason appearances, and he earned the SWAC Coach of the Year award. He also helped the university achieve its first winning season in eight years. After his time at Southern, Garris served as an assistant coach at Maryland for three years (2021-2024), contributing to the school’s first winning season in eight years in 2022. Garris coached his final season at Bay Community College.
