Kevin Montgomery has led a resurgence of Jackson State University softball, forging the Lady Tigers into becoming one of the top programs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. That resurgence was remarkably evidenced during the 2024 season, his sixth with the program, as the Lady Tigers had the winningest season in JSU history with an overall record of 33-19, captured the SWAC championship and earned a berth to the NCAA tournament.
Montgomery continued to build on his success by kicking off his seventh season in 2025 with the program's best start, 7-0. He went on to lead the Tigers to another SWAC Tournament Title, becoming an automatic qualifier in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers competed in the Tuscaloosa Regional along with Alabama, Virgina Tech and Belmont.Â
Prior to 2025, Montgomery led the Lady Tigers to the 2021 SWAC Eastern Division Championship and to the SWAC Tournament quarterfinals. A year later, in 2022, Jackson State won three consecutive elimination games to advance to the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament. Then, in 2023, JSU, with Montgomery at the helm, tied for second in the SWAC Eastern Division and advanced to the SWAC Tournament semifinals.
Montgomery came to JSU from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. In his lone season in Pine Bluff, he led the Golden Lions to a 19-28 overall mark and an 11-6 record in conference play. He led UAPB to an upset of No. 1-seed Alcorn State University and guided the Golden Lions to the quarterfinals of the 2018 SWAC Softball Tournament.
Montgomery began his coaching career in August 2005, when he was named head coach at Alcorn State. In his tenure at Alcorn State, the Lady Braves ranked sixth in doubles in the NCAA in 2006. Also that season, the team made its first-ever Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament finals appearance. Montgomery led the Lady Braves to five SWAC Softball Tournament appearances between 2005 and 2012.
Under the tutelage of Montgomery, the Lady Braves won their first-ever SWAC Softball Tournament and made their first NCAA Softball Tournament appearance in 2010. At the conclusion of that season, Alcorn State had two players to receive post-season accolades – one reaping SWAC Player-of-the-Year honors and the other capturing Most Valuable Player of the SWAC Tournament..
In January 2013, Montgomery was named the associate head coach at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Ala. He helped lead the Lady Hornets to their first-ever SWAC Softball Tournament championship game that season.
In November 2013, Montgomery was named the Director of Player Development at Southern California Preps in Woodland Hills, Calif., where he helped prep USA Prep elite players for national qualifying events.
A native of Atlanta, Ga., Montgomery earned a B.S. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in 2005 and a Master’s degree in Guidance Education in 2007, both from Alcorn State.
