Steve Kissel has been named as the NOC Enid Jets Softball coach replacing Megan Hill.
NOC Athletic Director Alan Foster announced the hiring this week.
Kissel comes to NOC from Colorado Northwestern Community College.
"I want to thank Mr. Foster and the committee for giving me this great opportunity," Kissel said. "I'm excited to be the new head softball coach at NOC Enid. I know there is tremendous potential in this program."
NOC Athletic Director Alan Foster is excited for Kissel joining the Jets program.
"I feel fortunate that we are able to hire someone with coach Kissel's experience and connections in college softball. He has experience in taking over programs late in the cycle and having success immediately. I feel there will be little disruption for the athletes in adjusting to a new coach which is important. I believe he will be able to help our student athletes achieve and further their goals both on the field and off," Foster said.
Kissel is a Colorado native, and has coached for seven different colleges. He has amassed 610 wins and will be entering his 30th season as a collegiate head coach.
He began his collegiate head coaching career at his alma mater - Dana College - from 1987 through 1994. He received his undergraduate degree in Physical Education from the institution, leading his alma mater to six conference championships in eight years (1987-91 and 1994), along with qualifying for district tournaments all eight years. The 1994 team won a district championship and advanced to the 'Elite Eight' of the NAIA National Tournament.
Kissel won league coaching honors six times while coaching at Dana. He was also a two-time 'District Coach-of-the-Year' in 1991 and 1994.
After receiving his Masters' Degree in Health Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1994, Kissel next coached at Minot State (N.D.) for one year as head softball coach and assistant football coach. That year, the football team made it all the way to the 'Elite Eight' in the NAIA playoffs and the softball team qualified for its first-ever regional tournament.
Kissel's next coaching stint was at Pittsburg State University in Kansas. His squad qualified for the NCAA Division II regional tournament during his tenure.
In 1998, Kissel joined Oklahoma Panhandle State, where he was the head softball and men's/women's cross-country coach. He spent the next seven years rebuilding a program that had won less than ten games per year to a program that consistently won 30 games per year. Kissel also served in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) department, was the NCAA Compliance Coordinator, a member of the Teacher Education Council and the Athletic Committee.
Later, Kissel was named the head coach at the University of Central Arkansas, where he spent three years and helped UCA make its transition from NCAA Division-II to NCAA Division-I.
He was the head coach at Western Texas College from 2008 to 2011. He earned his 500th career collegiate coaching victory during his time at WTC. He added another coaching milestone while coaching at Dakota State, when he earned his 600th career win after the North Star Athletic Association opening round victory over Bellevue (Neb.) in May 2018.
His 2018 Dakota State squad recorded its most overall record wins (21 wins) for the first time since 2003 (26 wins). The Trojans also finished 13-15 record in the North Star Conference action, the most conference win since joining the league in 2013-14.
He replaces Megan Hill left the NOC program for a return to Emporia State, her alma mater, where she will be an assistant.
"I appreciate everything Coach Hill has done for the Jets softball program and I wish her nothing but the best in her endeavors," Foster said. "I really enjoyed working with her."