Bio

Andy Lee, a six-time national champion and three-time national coach of the year, enters his sixth season as head coach of the Northwest Florida State College softball program.

During the 2024 season, Lee’s team set a new program record with 58 wins, surpassing the previous record of 57 set by the team just a year earlier.

The Raiders opened the season with a dominant 20-0 run, went undefeated at home with a 23-0 record, and finished 19-1 in Panhandle Conference play. Their impressive performance secured their second consecutive conference championship. The team went on to place second in the FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII Championships and advanced to the Final Four of the NJCAA World Series for the second straight year.

Lee’s team earned numerous accolades following the season, including eight All-Panhandle Conference selections, seven All-FCSAA selections, and eight NFCA All-Region honors. Additionally, four players were named NFCA All-Americans, and three earned NJCAA All-American recognition: Cailyn Heyl, Sister Arnold, and Ashlyn Shirah.

Of the eight sophomores on the roster, six signed letters of intent to continue their softball careers at NCAA Division I programs. These players included Autumn Vessier (Central Arkansas), Gyvan Hammons (North Alabama), McKayla Ferguson (Louisiana-Lafayette), Ashlyn Shirah (Alabama-Birmingham), Britt Bourgoyne (Alabama-Birmingham), and Christina Mason (Louisiana-Monroe).

In the 2023 season, Lee and the Raider softball team shattered numerous program records on their way to achieving the program's first-ever national tournament appearance.

The Raiders set a then-program record with 57 wins, which was surpassed the following year in 2024 with 58 wins, and finished the season as the NJCAA National Runner-Up. The 2022-23 team also rewrote the record books, setting new marks in team batting average (.362), runs scored (515), RBIs (472), doubles (129), home runs (92), and total bases (1,015). Individually, 2B Sydney Stewart recorded 22 doubles, while LF Gyvan Hammons stole 39 bases.

3B Layla Thompson stood out as a Rawlings Gold Glove Award recipient and was named the NJCAA National Tournament Most Outstanding Offensive Player. Additionally, Julia Petty, Layla Thompson, and Gyvan Hammons earned NJCAA All-Tournament Team honors.

The Raiders concluded the season as Panhandle Conference Champions, Region 8 Runner-Up, and National Runner-Up. Under Lee's leadership, the team had 11 players named to the All-Conference Team and 5 players recognized as All-Region selections.

In his first year, Lee led the program to a 27-8 record before having the season shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time the season ended, the Raiders led the NJCAA in doubles, triples, extra base hits, total bases, and sacrifice flies. The team ranked second in runs, RBIs, and walks, fourth in stolen bases and fifth in home runs. The squad was also a success in the classroom posting a 3.59 team GPA.

Lee came to Niceville with over a decade of collegiate head coaching experience and a combined record of 701-182 (.794 winning percentage), including stints at the helm of LSU-Eunice and Hinds Community College.

In his 11 seasons as the head coach at LSU-Eunice, Lee was instrumental in turning the Bengals’ softball program into a perennial powerhouse. Under Lee’s command, the Bengals have made 11 Region 23 Tournaments, nine National Tournaments, and won six national championships with one national runner-up finish. Boasting a 582-107 record (.844 winning percentage) during his 11-year stint, the Bengals have held the #1 ranking at some point in the NJCAA regular season polls seven of the last nine years.

In that time span, 44 LSU-Eunice student-athletes have earned scholarships to play at four-year schools. Lee recruited and developed 47 All-Region selections and 23 NJCAA All-Americans while at LSU-Eunice. He has received five Region 23 Coach of the Year awards along with three National Coach of the Year honors (2011, 2014, 2017, and 2018).

“Coach Lee is a winner and he has proven his dedication to creating a high-quality, championship program,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, Northwest Florida State College president. “Most important is the priority he places on student academic success and character development. Bringing Coach Lee to our college is a strong indicator of our goal to see our athletic programs dominate the NJCAA Panhandle Conference and Region VIII. We should be thinking and acting that way, because the Best Is Our Standard.”

Prior to his time at LSU-Eunice, Lee began his collegiate coaching career at Hinds Community College. He spent three seasons as the head coach of the Eagles’ program and led them to a 92-65 overall record from 2006-2008.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Lee played four years as a left-handed pitcher and outfielder at Hinds Community College and Delta State University. In 1999, Lee signed a professional baseball contract with the Boston Red Sox and pitched two seasons in their organization.

Lee received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Delta State University and a master’s degree in education from Jackson State University.

ANDY LEE HEAD COACHING RECORD