TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Not long after Brett Rutherford arrived as the new Athletic Director at Tallahassee State College, the new AD would have to make his first hire. A mid-summer departure for softball coach Brynn Baca started an immediate search.
After being hired in August, TSC introduced Jessica Santiago as the latest Eagles softball skipper on Tuesday. Santiago is familiar with the program on West Pensacola Street, serving as the final pitching coach for longtime leader of the program Patti Townsend.
In addition to the familiarity with the program, Santiago comes with NCAA Division I experience, working with pitcher as Associate Head Coach at Nicholls State for a decade.
Now, Santiago returns to TSC to help reclaim the standard set by Townsend.
“I just want to make her proud,” said Santiago of Townsend who according to the new coach will be around the program. “She gave me an opportunity to come here and to see exactly what this place could be and transform into and I just want to elevate all that for her. I think she did a great job with the alumni base and I want to continue that on and expand it.”
“This program has a long history and really high standards,” said AD Rutherford. “I knew that Jess was going to help sustain that culture and take it into this next era.”
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