After 23 years, 349 wins, seven conference championships, 10 conference coach of the year awards, 21 playoff appearances, and 22 winning seasons— Greg Jenkins finally received a well-deserved spot into the N.C. Hall of Fame on July 17.
Despite his success though, Jenkins: the down to earth and humble coach, said he was surprised to be selected.
“It’s a big honor. It’s something I didn’t see coming, I didn’t expect, and I’m not even sure if it’s deserving, but I’ll take it,” Jenkins said.
Not only did Jenkins not expect to be inducted into the N.C. Softball Hall of Fame, but he never expected to even coach softball in the first place as he said basketball was his passion growing up.
“I was always athletic, and I was a basketball guy coming up. Then some knee injuries and things kind of limited (my career). I just got a … degree at East Carolina (in) exercise and sports science.”
Not long after accepting his first job as a physical education teacher at Woodington Middle School though, he was approached by staff at the school to fill the vacant softball coach position— a position he immediately excelled at.
“I started teaching in 98, then I kind of got thrown into coaching softball,” Jenkins said. “(In 2001) we actually won the first middle school championship that they had ever won in softball.”
Thanks to his instant success at the middle school, local high schools began to take notice, and when a vacant spot for both the softball coach and the P.E. teacher positions opened up at East Duplin in the 2001/02 school year, he was convinced by athletic director Jerry Hunter to make the switch to high school.
“I got involved with coach Hunter through SASI: the Student Athletic Summer Institute through the high school athletic association, and (he said) they needed a softball coach, (and) he felt I would be a good fit, and here I am 23 years later.”
During just the second year of his tenure with East Duplin, the team had its best season to date when they won the Eastern Region of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A State Playoffs and finished 2003 as state runners-up.
A few years later Jenkins was named as one of the two head coaches at the 2010 East vs. West senior game.
More than any of his accomplishments though, Jenkins said that what he remembers most about his career has been the relationships he made along the way.
“The biggest thing is all the relationships I’ve built with all the players and other coaches and the community and the softball community throughout the state.”
One of those players who Jenkins developed a strong relationship is Kari Roberts who played for him from 2015-2017 and is now one his assistant coaches.
Roberts said that one of the best things about playing and coaching under Jenkins is that he continues to give her advice not only in softball but everyday situations in life.
“He never stops learning about the game. We spend a ton of time sending videos back and forth of drills and game clips,” Roberts said. “He (also) spends time with you as a person just to pour into you and make you a better kid and a better adult.”
Mary Katherine Raynor who played for Jenkins from 2017-2020 and Chandler Mobley who played for Jenkins from 2020-2023 both said that Jenkins made an impact on their lives.
“He was a great coach. He was always one to crack jokes and create a really comfortable environment for us to not only be athletes but just be our own individual selves. He always gave me lots of confidence. I caught for him for four years, and he always gave me a lot of confidence when I was behind the plate (and) when I was batting as well,” Raynor said.
“Every day he pushed me to be the best that I could be. Every practice he put 110 percent into every single practice and every single game. He was always there for me and all his other players. He never showed any favoritism to anybody. Overall, he was just a really outstanding coach,” Mobley said.
Out of all his relationships though, perhaps none is more important to him than the one he built with his daughter whom he said has been to the majority of his games as a spectator or as a player since she was eight years old. Jenkins said that not having her in the dugout will be unusual for him, but he plans to continue to coach for at least one more season.
“My daughter, Carley Grace (Jenkins), just graduated, and it’s going to be a little tougher (without her) … She’s been in my dugout since she could walk, and I’ve coached her since she was eight years old. It’s going to be a little different without her out there.”
“I’m not going to be one of those guys that puts in 35 or 40 years … I’ve got three more years to teach. I know I’m coming back next year, and then after that, it’s going to be a year-by-year decision.”
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