Jay Pyron joined the Averett University softball coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach in the summer of 2016.
Pyron has a wealth of softball coaching knowledge, including multiple stops at the Division I level. He served as an assistant coach at North Carolina State University for three seasons, where he worked with outfielders and hitters, oversaw equipment and was the recruiting coordinator. He helped guide the Wolfpack to the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships, and was a part of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Coaching Staff of the Year in 2007. He then spent the 2008 season as an assistant coach at Campbell University as the hitting and infield coach, recruiting coordinator and travel coordinator.
Pyron was named the first softball head coach at Murray State University in September 2008. He guided the Racers to a 22-29 record during their inaugural season in 2010. After going 24-28 in 2011, he led Murray State to a 34-21 overall mark and a 19-11 record in the Ohio Valley Conference. During his three seasons at Murray State, he coached one OVC Player of the Year, one OVC Freshman of the Year, seven all-conference selections and three all-region selections.
Following his time at Murray State, he joined the University of Evansville as an assistant coach in the fall of 2012 and spent once season there before being named the head coach at NAIA Arizona Christian University in December 2013, where he coached the Firestorm for two seasons. In his second season at ACU, he guided the 2015 team to a 31-18 record — a 20-win improvement from his first season.
Pyron began his collegiate coaching career at Division II Barry University, where he was the hitting coach, outfielders coach and recruiting coordinator for its nationally ranked program. In 2003, he also led the American team in the Indoor World Cup in Scheidem, Netherlands. Prior to joining the college ranks, Pyron coached at Dan River High School from 1999-2003 and was the hitting instructor for Diamond Fever, a local softball travel team.
In addition to serving as an assistant coach at Averett, Pyron works as a head scout with the national collegiate scouting team for Next College Student Athlete (NCSA).
A native of Keeling, Virginia, Pyron earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Averett in 2002 and was a member of the baseball, golf and cross country programs. He is married to Averett softball head coach Ashley Pyron, and the two reside in the Danville area with their son, Luke.
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