Kira Zeiter said she is ready for a new challenge after announcing her resignation as head softball coach at Fort Lewis College.
Zeiter led the Skyhawks for five seasons before she submitted her resignation to athletic director Gary Hunter on Thursday afternoon. The college announced her decision late Friday afternoon.
“I’m going to see what’s next; go in a different direction and try something new,” Zeiter said Friday in a phone interview with The Durango Herald.
Though Zeiter won’t coach at Fort Lewis College next season, she hopes to be in a college dugout leading another team when the 2016 season begins.
“I would love to continue to coach. I’m keeping my options open,” Zeiter said. “I have not even started to explore anything of that sort, but I’ll keep my options open and see what positions become available.”
Hunter said the college will open a national search to find a replacement. He said he would prefer to hire a coach with previous collegiate head coaching experience.
“Softball is pretty competitive in the (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). We want to attract someone with all the basics as far as being a good recruiter who can bring in good character girls,” Hunter said. “We want someone with experience as a head coach, but we’re not always able to do that with the money we would be able to offer. That’s what we always shoot for, but sometimes you have to take a chance on someone who has been an assistant coach and hope they have experience in a winning program.”
Zeiter is the eighth coach Hunter has had to replace since being hired at FLC in 2011. The next softball coach will be the sixth in FLC’s program history.
Zeiter compiled a 105-138 record in her five seasons after a 16-31 campaign in 2015. She set a program record for single-season wins with 30 in 2012.
Pam Adams, who coached the team from 2000-10, still holds the program record for wins with an overall record of 234-406. Zeiter has the best winning percentage of any coach in FLC softball history at .432.
When Zeiter first came to FLC, she took on a program that went 19-24 a season before. She joked that there were nine players and only one pitcher on the roster when she arrived in Durango from Arizona.
“I’m very proud of a lot of things we accomplished. The year I took over, we turned it around and went to regionals,” Zeiter said. “Two seasons ago, we were in the conference tournament championship game. I’m proud of the team, and I’m excited for their future, too.”
Hunter credited Zeiter for recruiting strong student athletes. FLC has had the RMAC Academic Player of the Year each of the last four seasons.
“The one thing that resonates with me are the academic accomplishments we’ve got,” Zeiter said. “I’m proud of the team, and they get all the credit in the world for being solid on the field and in the classroom.”
Hunter said he hopes to upgrade Aspen Field and its surrounding softball complex in the coming years, and he hopes a new coach can sell that to recruits. But he knows that will take a combined effort between Fort Lewis College and the city of Durango.
“Our facilities will be improved sometime in the future, but we don’t know when.” Hunter said. “It’s a joint venture with the city, but that will be a good recruiting tool sometime down the road for a new coach.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
