Jessica Sanders is in her fifth year as the Head Coach of the Night Hawks softball program and thirteenth overall in 2026. Sanders spent the prior eight seasons as TU's assistant coach and Head Coach for the program's JV team. Sanders was named Senior Women's Leader in June 2023. As Senior Women's Leader Sanders led initiatives to professionalize the athletic department by setting key performance indicators for coaches and administrators and creating a plan to grow the department. She was promoted to Interim Athletic Director in September 2025 and in October 2025 Sanders had the interim tag removed.
In the 2025 campaign Sanders led Night Hawks softball to a NAIA National tournament berth for the first time since 2018 while also breaking her career century mark in wins. Sanders currently holds a career head coaching record of 101-96 (.513). Sanders reached the career century mark on April 26th, 2025 against Abraham Baldwin with a 1-0 shutout to complete the doubleheader sweep and close out the regular season campaign.
Prior to her time at Thomas University, Sanders spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Shorter University. During her tenure at Shorter, the Lady Hawks captured the NAIA National Softball Championship in 2012 and finished second in the NCCAA National Tournament in 2013.
Before her time at Shorter, Sanders spent one season at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas. In the program’s inaugural season, Our Lady finished as the regular season conference runner-up in the Red River Conference.
Sanders began her collegiate playing career at the University of West Georgia. In her freshman season, she hit 15 home runs; now tied for second most in a single season. Following her freshman season, Sanders transferred to Shorter and earned All-SSAC accolades in 2006, 2007, and 2008 for the Lady Hawks. In 2006, Sanders was named SSAC Player of the Year as a sophomore, setting Shorter's single-season home run record with 16. Her .924 single season slugging percentage remains the record at Shorter. In her career at Shorter, she was a two-time NAIA All-American, and is currently Shorter's career leader in home runs (37) and batting average (.400) and is second all-time in doubles and RBI. In 2013, Sanders was inducted into the Shorter University Hall of Fame as the first softball player in the Hall's history.
A native of Bowdon, Ga., Sanders holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from the University of West Georgia and a Master of Art in Leadership from Shorter University. Currently, Sanders resides in Thomasville, Ga with her wife Jessica Barefield and children Sullivan and Quinn.
