Lawrence County native Ashley Jones is thenew softball coach at Enterprise. The hiring of Jones was approvedat Monday night’s meeting of the Lincoln County School Board.

    “We are excited about having Coach Jones here on our staff,” saidEnterprise principal Shannon Eubanks. “We have good quality peopleon our coaching staff and we look forward to having a good year. Wehave experience and youth.”

    Eubanks said Jones did practice teaching at Enterprise last yearprior to her graduation from William Carey University. Heapproached her about the coaching vacancy. He said classroomteaching skills rated priority in his search for a coach.

    Jones, 22, is a 2007 Lawrence County graduate. She will teach highschool algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. She will assistAshlee Britt with the cheerleading squad in the fall.

    “I’m really excited and I can’t wait to see what this first yearholds,” said Jones. “I know I have a great group of girls comingback.”

    A 2007 LCHS graduate, Jones played pitcher for BeronicaStringfellow. She attended Co-Lin and played there as a firstbaseman for Coach Allen Kent in 2009. She graduated from WCU with amajor in  math and a minorin education.

    Asked about her coaching philosophy, Jones said, “I want to go backto the basics. You have to have the fundamentals down good. Youhave to do the little things right.”

    Jones inherits a Class 2A state playoff team that was under thedirection of interim coaches Charissa Burke and Chad Coon lastseason as the Lady Yellow Jackets (16-7)advanced to the secondround of the state playoffs before losing to Taylorsville. Coonwill work with Jones as an assistant coach next spring.

    Enterprise lost three senior starters who signed softballscholarships with Co-Lin: All-star catcher Karla Beth Hux,pitcher/second baseman Chynna Coghlan and outfielder KaitlinMoak.

    Jones is the daughter of David and Valerie Jones of Monticello. Shehas two older brothers and one older sister.