Continuing to lead Methodist University into an annual powerhouse in NCAA Division III softball, Ron Simpson recently completed his tenth year at the helm of the Monarchs softball program. In his ten seasons at Methodist, Simpson has compiled an impressive 322-124-1 mark with five USA South Athletic Conference regular season championships, five tournament championships, and six trips to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.

Simpson has paced Methodist to 10 consecutive 25-victory seasons, including six straight 30-plus victory seasons with nine seasons of national rankings. In 2008, the Monarchs received their third straight bid to the NCAA Tournament after registering a 21-game winning streak during the season.

2007 proved to be another outstanding year for the Monarchs as well as another year of firsts for the "Simpson Era." The Monarchs won back-to-back postseason USA South Conference Tournament Championships, qualifying them for regionals for the fifth time in nine years. Additionally, the Monarchs hosted the first regional tournament at Monarch Field. Again, the Monarchs were ranked 17th in the preseason National Poll and were ranked throughout the year. The Monarchs played in their third NFCA Classic, finishing 4-2 and were one of only four teams in the 24 team tournament to go undefeated in pool play. Overall, the Monarchs went 33-10 with Rebekah Kelly earning Second Team All-American and USA South Conference Player of the Year honors.

In 2006, the Monarchs set school records for the best record ever, 39-8.  They had the most wins, least losses, the highest ranking ever, and finally cracked the top ten, reaching #7 in the rankings and finishing 11th in the final poll of the year.  They won back-to-back conference championships, going 13-1 and undefeated while winning the post-season conference tournament; they were ranked #2 in the region and for the first time ever were the number one seed for the NCAA Regional competition, finishing third. 

In 2005, Methodist was ranked as high as 11th in the Division III National Top 30 poll, and won the USA South regular season championship with a 32-12 mark overall and 12-2 in the conference play. Methodist opened the 2004 season ranked 12th in the preseason Division III Top 25 and finished 30-14 overall.

The 2003 season set a school record for victories in a season with 38 (before being broken in 2006), finished 38-10 overall for the best record in program history and had its highest showing ever in the NCAA Regional with a runner-up finish at the Atlantic Regional. The Monarchs finished 13th in the final NCAA Division III poll, produced six All-DIAC selections, six NCAA Division III All-Regional selections and one NCAA Division III All-American.

While the 2002 season saw the Monarchs post its fourth consecutive 25-win season (27-16) earning its third DIAC regular-season title in the past four years.  For his efforts in 2002, Simpson garnered his second DIAC Coach of the Year honor.  Additionally, Kristen Wallace made school history as she earned first team all American honors for the first time in Methodist softball history. In 2001, Methodist captured its third consecutive 25-win season with a respectable 29-17 against a national caliber schedule.

During the 2000 campaign, the Monarchs raised the bar even higher. Methodist claimed its second consecutive DIAC regular season crown with an overall 28-15-1 mark, and followed that achievement by winning the conference tournament. Then, in the school's second consecutive NCAA appearance, the Monarchs finished third in the 2000 NCAA-III Atlantic Regional.

In his first season as head coach in 1999, Simpson wasted little time as he guided Methodist to the top of the DIAC with a single-season school record 32-12 mark, including a perfect 10-0 conference mark. That performance landed the Monarchs their first conference regular season title since 1993 and made their first ever NCAA regional tournament appearance.  Simpson was recognized by his peers as the DIAC Coach of the Year.

Overall, Simpson has produced 52 players on the All-Conference teams, 28 All-Atlantic Region selections, four conference Player of the Year honors, four conference Coach of the Year honors, four conference Rookie of the Year honors, two conference Rookie Pitcher of the Year honors, and four NCAA Division III All-Americans in softball.

Simpson brought an extraordinary wealth of experience and success to Methodist and his personal challenge of putting (and keeping) Monarchs Softball on the regional and national level. He arrived from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C., where he directed his team to a second-place finish and Coach of the Year honors in the tough Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) in 1996. While at St. Andrews, he also coached women's basketball for three years as an assistant.

Prior to that, he was the head softball coach at Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette, AL., for one year, following one season as the assistant coach in 1994.  Simpson coached softball in the Air Force from 1980-1996, serving as the All-Air Force softball coach from 1988-1996, as well as the All-Armed Forces softball coach in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1994.

Ron Simpson is a retired Lt Col with the United States Air Force serving 26 years.  Additionally, he is married to Mae Horne Simpson, a Real Estate Broker/Agent who has lived in Fayetteville her entire life.  Simpson is a native tarheel originally from Monroe, NC and graduated from Piedmont High School. He received a BBA in Management from Texas Tech University, a MA in Business Administration from Webster University. In 1994, Simpson earned his second Master's degree in Sport Management from the United Sports Academy in Mobile, AL

 

 

Ray Harrington, Assistant Coach

 
Ray Harrington has been coaching fast pitch softball since 1995 when high schools in North Carolina converted from slow pitch.  This prompted him to leave coaching AAU baseball to become a pitching coach for the North Carolina Organization, one of the most successful traveling teams during the early 1990's.  During that time, the Challengers won the North Carolina State Games gold medal two years in a row and achieved a top 10 national ranking.  He was also the pitching coach for the Triangle Hurricanes and the Carolina Girls travel teams during the late 1990's.  The demand for individual pitching instructors increased significantly and Coach Harrington began conducting individual pitching lessons.  Currently, he conducts instructions at the Hall of Fame Academy in Cary, NC.  Last year in Cumberland County, three of his students were Region players of the year and several of his students achieved All-State honors.  Coach Harrington works with approximately 60 players from around the eastern part of the state.  For the past four years, at least two of his students have been in the state high school finals.  Many of his students are pitching at the collegiate level.

Coach Harrington learned to pitch in Virginia where he grew up and eventually pitched in the Air Force where he served from 1967 until 1971.  He pitched against the famous King and his Court team on two occasions, and wrote the script for a pitching instruction video that has been used across the country.

Coach Harrington had another championship pitching staff in 2007. He not only helped lead the Monarchs to a 33-10 season, the team earned back-to-back postseason tournament wins, therefore qualifying for regionals again. He helped produce a first team All-Conference pitcher, an honorable mention All-Conference pitcher as well as the USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Year. The team's ERA was the lowest ever and his pitchers lowered the opponents' batting average from the previous year. His total commitment to the Monarchs program has helped the pitching staff become the top staff within the conference.

Coach Harrington helped lead the Monarchs to their best year in 2006.  His pitching staff won 39 games while only losing 8 with the USA South Conference Pitcher of the Year and Rookie Pitcher of the Year.  Methodist attained its highest ranking ever at number 7 and finished 11th in the final national poll,  again the highest ever.  His commitment to a "pitching staff" contributed to the great success of "the staff."

Coach Harrington recently retired from the North Carolina College System.  His education included a B.A.S. in the Administration of Justice from Guilford College and a Masters of Education from North Carolina State University.

Jim Threatt, Assistant Coach

Coach Threatt begins his first season with the Monarchs' staff. He brings a wealth of experience from his playing days in both fastpitch and slowpitch. He will be working with all aspects of the program.

Both he and his wife, Shelby, are Fayetteville natives.