WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After leading the Palm Beach Atlantic softball team through two unprecedented seasons, Jessica Cooley has announced that she will be stepping down from her position of head coach of the Sailfish.
 
"I am grateful for my time to coach at Palm Beach Atlantic University," Cooley said. "My heart is so full and has been expanded tremendously by each student-athlete that I have coached at PBA. I am forever in each of their corners and will be their biggest fans as they continue in the classroom, on the field and in pursuit of their dreams after softball. My family and I are excited for our new chapter, but we will always have a place in our hearts for Palm Beach Atlantic University."
 
Cooley is moving to Indiana with her husband Michael Brown, the former Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations at PBA, as he begins his new position as the Associate Athletic Director for Operations at Purdue University-Fort Wayne.
 
"I can't thank Jessica enough for accepting God's call to serve PBA," PBA Director of Athletics Courtney Lovely Evans said. "She was not only our head softball coach for the last two years, but she served as a mentor and spiritual leader to her student-athletes and countless others in the Sailfish family. I pray God's richest blessings upon her and her husband as they make their transition to Indiana."
 
The Sailfish recorded a 32-23 record in two seasons with Cooley at the helm, including four ranked wins in her tenure. Both seasons were shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Cooley served as the leader for the squad during those difficult times.
 
After her first season was cut short in 2020, Cooley led PBA's return to the field in 2021, finishing with a 17-12 record and PBA's first appearance in the NCAA South Region rankings since 2018. Under her watch, PBA boasted four All-SSC honorees with Abbey Busby and Meredith Milam earning All-Region recognition from the NFCA and D2CCA. Busby was also named SSC Pitcher of the Year on her way to earning All-American status in 2021.
 
Prior to PBA, Cooley spent 10 years with the Mississippi State University softball program. She joined the Bulldogs staff in the fall of 2013 after a standout four-year career on the diamond. She was heavily involved in all aspects of the Mississippi State softball program after shifting her role from a student-athlete. She helped to prepare schedules and recruiting visits while also managing the operating budget and helping to instruct during practices and games.
 
She left Starkville as one of the best power hitters in school history. Cooley is still the only player in SEC history with four multi-home run games in a single season and her 27 career home runs rank sixth in school history. Her best year came in her junior season where she hit .310 with 15 homers while driving in 41 and slugging .614. That year she was named a CollegeSportsMadness Third-Team All-American while also earning an SEC Player of the Week honor on March 5 and a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week honor. Cooley was named to the All-SEC Freshman team in 2010 and was an Academic All-SEC selection during her time with the Bulldogs. She was additionally named to the SEC Community Service Team in 2013.
 
A national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.