Northeast Alabama Community College names first Athletic Director

RAINSVILLE, Ala. ( WHNT ) — Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) named its first full-time Athletic Director earlier this week.

Jimmy Kolaitis, an Alabama native, is returning home after spending four years at Arizona State University (ASU) as an assistant softball coach. While there, the Sun Devil softball team had 125 wins.

“I am extremely excited to be a part of the Northeast Alabama family,” Kolaitis said. “I’m very humbled to have the opportunity to be the school’s first Athletic Director. Dr. Campbell has done an amazing job building NACC into a strong academic school, and now we are ready to build up the Athletic Department. The future is exciting for this college, the students and the local community.”

Kolaitis is bringing over 20 years of experience to NACC Athletics. Before joining the ASU team, he was the head softball coach for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His softball resume also includes time at the University of Oregon, the Greek National Softball team, the Chicago Bandits, the University of South Alabama and more.

Kolaitis will oversee NACC’s cross country, Esports, golf and softball teams. He will also serve as Assistant Softball Coach with Head Coach Joe Guthrie. Kolaitis will relieve NACC’s Associate Dean of Instruction, Barbara Kilgore, as she has served as acting Athletic Director.

“We are extremely pleased to have Jimmy Kolaitis as our Athletic Director and Assistant Women’s Softball Coach with us at Northeast,” said NACC President Dr. David Campbell. “He is highly qualified and experienced. In my interview with him, I was so impressed with his insight that in working with our players, he and his staff help develop each individual as people with great personal traits as well as athletes. He and Coach Joe Guthrie, like our other coaches, bring the highest character to our sports programs.”

Kolaitis has been a National Women’s Team coaching staff member for the last three years, winning gold medals in 2022 and 2023 (15U). He recently was on staff for the 2024 silver medal squad at the WBSC World Championship.

Softball head coach Joe Guthrie is excited for Kolaitis to join the Mustang Athletics family.

“I am supremely impressed with Dr. Campbell and many others in their handling of the process to bring in Jimmy Kolaitis,” Guthrie said. “I am excited to work with him and Courtnay Foster again. Jimmy is simply the perfect person to lead our athletic department at NACC.”

Athletics at NACC has expanded rapidly in recent years. The Esports team recently concluded its second year of competition, while Men’s and Women’s Cross County will kick off their second season this fall. Women’s softball will begin its inaugural season this year.

NACC’s new state-of-the-art women’s softball stadium is also nearing completion on campus, and the team is beginning to practice on the field. The college says the stadium will be lit with LEDS, the grandstands will be covered by a roof and artificial turf will cover the infield and outfield. NACC says locker rooms and a training facility will also be included.

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