Concordia Texas Athletics

Jeff Staton is in his seventh year as the head coach for the Concordia Texas softball team. He is the 10th head coach in the history of the program.

Continuing success from the 2024 season, Staton and the Tornados produced a program-best 27 wins in 2025. CTX also recorded a school-best 22 wins in their first year in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). They also ended the regular season with 12 straight wins (tied for second most in school history) to earn the fourth-seed in the SCAC tournament. A pair of Tornados earned individual conference honors as utility player Kylie Kirk was named the SCAC Co-Player of the Year & outfielder Malarie Mican was named the SCAC Newcomer of the Year. Kirk was also the fourth Tornado in program history to be named to an All-Region Team & the first ever to make the (NFCA) First Team. A total of nine Tornados were tabbed to the 2025 All-Conference Team with Kirk, Mican, Kylie Denaro, & Taylor Smrt making the first team. Addison Lehew & Molly Olivarez made the All-SCAC Second Team, while Christian Everett, Karlee Mathis, & Kylie Pavlicek all recognized as All-SCAC Honorable Mentions.

In year five (2024), Staton pioneered another winning season as he led the Tornados to 25 wins (14 conference victories). In what would prove to be the Tornados' most successful season, CTX entered the conference tournament as the sixth and final seed. They would go on to make it to the championship series; the first time in program history since 2000. The success of the season resulted in eight Tornados being named to the All-ASC First Team, which was the most All-Conference selections for Concordia since 2018. Catcher Molly Olivarez highlighted the All-Conference Team with a first team nod, while utility player Kylie Kirk was named to the All-ASC Second Team. Kylie Denaro, Addison Lehew, & Mayson Post were all listed on the All-ASC Third Team, while the trio of Grace Coleman, Christian Everett, & Kylie Pavlicek were deemed as All-ASC Honorable Mention honorees. 

In the 2023 campaign, the Tornados' produced another trio of all-conference performers in a near .500 season. Grace Coleman and Emily Schmuck was the duo under Staton's regime to be named to the All-ASC First Team, and Cristina Ayala was dubbed to the Second Team. Concordia Texas was on a tear offensively as they broke and tied several records. They broke the single-season record for steals with 134 and the single-game stolen bases record with 12 against Williamette on Feb. 20th. They also created a new season record with 21 triples and tied the record for triple in a single game with three against Howard Payne on April 29th.

In year three as the Tornados' head coach, Staton had three student-athletes named to the 2022 All-ASC team. Erica Riley & Ashley Hallmark were deemed to the Second Team, while Ellie Congalton earned All-ASC Honorable Mention honors. In the same season, Hailee Tinajero recorded the program's first ever cycle against Sul Ross State.

In his second season at the helm, Staton led the Tornados to a stellar 2021 campaign. Concordia finished the year with a 22-16 record, including a 16-11 mark in ASC play, and Staton made his first trip to the ASC Tournament after earning the second seed in the West Division. 

Six Tornados earned All-ASC honors, highlighted by ASC Co-Freshman of the Year and first-team selectoin Megan Hooper. Erica Riley, Ashley Hallmark, and Bailey Tisdale earned second-team selections, and Cristina Ayala and Emily Moses were named honorable mentions. In addition to her All-ASC selections, Tisdale was selected to the NFCA All-West Region Third Team. 

In his first season as head coach, the shortened 2020 season, he grabbed his first career coaching win as the Tornados shutout Trinity 4-0 in their season opener. Concordia went on to win two of three from Schreiner later in the year and finished with a 6-11 record, 1-5 in ASC play, before having the rest of the season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to becoming head coach, Staton served as an assistant coach for three years, including a 25-win season in 2018, tied for the second-most wins in a single season in program history, as the Tornados made a run to American Southwest Conference Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2000.

Staton brings a wealth of softball experience, having coached girls select softball for 28 years, while also serving as the Director of the Texas Stix Girls Softball Association. He has helped over 140 girls go to play college softball from NAIA to NCAA Division I.

Staton is no stranger to the university or the city.
 
A native of Austin, Texas, Staton was a four-sport athlete in high school and attended Tarleton State University to play football before transferring to Southwest Texas State to play baseball.

Staton's daughter, Haylee Staton, pitched for the Tornados in 2010 and was an ASC West First Team selection before finishing her career at University of Texas-San Antonio.

Staton and his wife Kathy currently reside in Liberty Hill, Texas.

Coaching Highlights: 
• Led the Tornados to the 2021 ASC Tournament 
• 2021 NFCA All-West Region Third Team selection Bailey Tisdale
• 2021 ASC Co-Freshman of the Year Megan Hooper
• 12 All-ASC selections, including three first-team selections
• 51 ASC All-Academic honorees 
 

Year	School	Record	Conference
2020	Concordia Texas	6-11	1-5
2021	Concordia Texas	22-16	16-11 (2nd/ASC West)
2022	Concordia Texas	14-23	11-19
2023	Concordia Texas	19-20	10-17
2024	Concordia Texas	25-19	14-13
2025	Concordia Texas	27-14	22-7
Totals	6 seasons	113-103 (.523)	74-72 (.507)