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 Rick Church enters his twelfth season as head coach of the Blinn College softball team. During his tenure as head coach, Church has led the program to ten Region XIV Tournament appearances. The Bucs have captured conference and regional championships in 2003, 2006, 2009, and most recently in 2010 with a fourth trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. His teams finished region runners-up in 2000, 2001, and 2005. The 2010 team finished with a 45-11 pushing Church’s career win mark over 500 victories. In 2009 the Bucs finished with a 56-11 record setting a program high for victories in a season. The team finished with a 40-22 record in 2006 winning the South Zone Conference, the Region XIV Championship and a trip to the NJCAA National Championship. The Bucs finished the 2003 season as NJCAA National Runners-Up with a 53-11 record. Church now holds the most all time victories at Blinn College with 461 wins. His overall college coaching record stands at 535-234 (.696). The NFCA honored Church and Assistant Jami Ingram Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2010. 2009 honors included Region XIV Coach of the Year and NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year. In 2008 the Easton Victory Club awarded Church for gaining his 400th victory. Church was awarded the Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2004, while 2003 season honors included Speedline/NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year, Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year, Region XIV Coach of the Year. Before arriving at Blinn College, Church served as co-founder, owner, and head instructor for the Can-Am Baseball/Softball Academy in Langley, British Columbia from 1992-1997. While in Canada he was also the coach of the White Rock Renegades women’s fast pitch team. The Renegades won back to back Canadian championships in 1993 and 1994. His overall record with the Renegades was 179-46 (.790). He had the privilege of training eight current or former Canadian National Team players. He joined the Can-Am Academy Houston operation as a consultant from 1997-1999.
Prior to his Can-Am years Church served as the head softball coach and professor of
physical education at Arizona Western College from 1990-1992. His record at AWC was 74-34.AWC finished Region I runners-up in 1991 and third in 1992. Church served as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska from 1986-1989. During that time the Huskers made two College World Series appearances finishing third and fifth respectively in 1987 and 1988.
Church has earned doctoral hours from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree
in Kinesiology from Sam Houston State University (1984), and his bachelor’s degree
from Kearney State College (1982) where he played college baseball as an infielder.
During his coaching tenure he has traveled with teams to Taiwan, Australia and
Holland. In the summer of 2001 his team finished third in an international tournament
in Holland. He has also been a speaker, presenter, or clinician at over 200 camps and clinics. In 2006 Church was selected to join the Canadian National Team coaching pool.
In the summer of 2006 he was a coach for the Elite team and was elevated to the Senior team staff in December of 2006. In the summer of 2007 the Canadian National Team earned a silver medal at the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Church currently serves as NJCAA Division I representative and is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Church also serves as Chair for the Division Health & Kinesiology at Blinn College-Brenham campus.
Church receives support and encouragement from his family. His wife Rocio is a kindergarten teacher in the Klein ISD. They have two children: Jordi (1992) and Demi (1994), both are attending Klein Oak High School.
 Jami Ingram is in her sixth year as the assistant coach for Blinn College Softball. Coach Ingram was born and raised in Richmond, British Columbia. She and head coach Rick Church received NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year honors following both the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Ingram began her softball career playing for Church at Blinn College during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. She earned All-Region XIV honors as a freshman and sophomore. She was also a member of the academic honor roll all four semesters and was tabbed a President's Scholar in Spring 2000.
Ingram continued her softball career at Texas Woman's University where she started both seasons for the Pioneers and earned numerous accolades. During her junior year, she was awarded Second Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, and Third Team all-American as a designated hitter. She was also an Academic All-American for the 2002 season. During her senior year, she was awarded First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region, and First Team All-American as a catcher. She was also named the 2003 NFCA Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year in Division II Softball. Coach Ingram set and still holds the home-run record for a season (14) and a career (18) at TWU.
She spent two years as a graduate assistant coach at Texas Woman's University while completing her master's degree. She was also a volunteer assistant coach during the 2004 season while completing her bachelor's degree.
Ingram holds an associate degree in kinesiology from Blinn (2001), a bachelor's degree in kinesiology with teaching certification from Texas Woman's University (2003), and a master's degree in kinesiology and sports administration from TWU (2005).
Currently, Coach Ingram teaches Personal Health for the Division of Health and Kinesiology at Blinn College. She is also a member of the Buccaneer Alumni Letterman Association.
 Haley Long is in her first year as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buccaneers. Coach Long played for Brenham High School in Brenham, Texas, where she earned first-team all-state honors in 2005. During that season, she also helped the cubs to a state title by hitting over .300 with a team-high eight triples. She went 4-for-5 with a pair of two-run triples and six RBIs in the state quarterfinals, and also claimed academic all-state accolades.
After her high school career, she played for Coach Church at Blinn in 2006, batting .355 with 43 runs scored, five doubles, 33 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a team-best 10 triples. She also hit safely in a career-high 11 straight games and hit .345 (30-for-87) during conference play.
Long continued her softball career at the University of Nebraska from 2007-2009, where she developed into an all-conference player. Long, a three-year starter in the outfield, earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore. During her junior season, she earned a spot on the all-tournament team after a solid 5-for-13 and four RBIs performance in the Big 12 championship. She also was selected to the Big 12 commissioner’s honor roll all three years.
Coach long graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, and is currently working on her master’s degree in kinesiology.
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