HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- The Coker College athletics department has announced several staff and coaching additions for the 2018-19 season. Below is a full list of the new staff members, with information on each new addition.
Bob McLaughlin - Strength and Conditioning Coach / Assistant Baseball Coach
Bob McLaughlin has been announced as Coker's strength and conditioning coach for the Cobras' 24 athletic teams. McLaughlin initially joined the Coker baseball staff in August of 2016.
McLaughlin came to Coker after a two-year stint at Division III Adrian College. He graduated from Alderson Broaddus in the spring of 2013 with his bachelor's degree in Sports Management. He played at Hudson Valley Community College in New York for one season before transferring to Alderson Broaddus for his final three years under Luke Harrigan.
Jay Novoa-Miralles - Assistant Men's and Women's Volleyball Coach
Jonathan "Jay" Novoa-Miralles has been announced as the full-time assistant coach for the men's and women's volleyball programs. Novoa-Miralles joined the Coker College volleyball staff in August 2017, helping lead both programs to successful 2017-18 seasons. The women's volleyball team recorded their highest number of South Atlantic Conference victories last season, while the men's volleyball team finished 13-10, before falling in the IVA Tournament Championship game.
Novoa-Miralles graduated from Barton College in Wilson, NC with degrees in both Business Administration and Sport Management in May 2017. While there, he was a captain for the men's volleyball team. As the starting libero, Novoa-Miralles helped the Bulldogs claim their first Conference Carolinas Championship in school history, earning Barton their first bid to the 2017 NCAA Volleyball Championship.
Novoa-Miralles was also on staff with the Barton College women's volleyball team, who won a conference title in the fall of 2016. Academically, he was a member of the Conference Carolinas All-Academic team in both 2016 and 2017. He was named the recipient of the Barton men's volleyball sportsmanship award in 2016.
Jose Soto II - Graduate Assistant Men's and Women's Volleyball Coach
Jose Luis Soto II joins Coker from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. Soto played volleyball for Culver-Stockton from 2013-2017 before earning his bachelor's degree in sports management.
Prior to joining Coker, Soto was an assistant volleyball coach at Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois, and also a youth soccer coach for the Bridgeview Park District.
Mackenzie Draine - Assistant Softball Coach
Mackenzie Draine rejoined the Coker softball coaching staff in August 2018, after a previous stint with the Cobras from 2014-2016.
In the interim, Draine served as an assistant coach at Cleveland State University.
She originally came to Coker after serving as the assistant softball coach at Volunteer High School in Tennessee. She helped guide her team to conference and regional titles, as well as the school's first sub state appearance since 2006.
A native of Church Hill, Tenn., Draine was a standout softball player at King University from 2009-13. She graduated from King in 2013 with a bachelor of arts degree in interdisciplinary studies and a minor in elementary education. She most recently graduated with a masters degree in college athletic administration from Coker in 2015 and is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in sport and athletic management.
Siara Shelton - Graduate Assistant Softball Coach
Siara Shelton was named the graduate assistant softball coach for the Cobras in August 2018. She received her bachelor's degree from Limestone College in 2018 with concentrations in sport performance, exercise science, and physical activity studies.
Shelton played third base and catcher for the Limestone softball team from 2015-2018. She was selected Second Team All-Conference Carolinas in 2018.
In addition to her coaching duties at coker, Shelton also coached the Carolina Rage, a 16 and under travel softball team.
Mark Watt - Assistant Men's and Women's Tennis Coach
Mark Watt was named the assistant men's and women's tennis coach in August 2018. Watt was a standout player for the Coker men's tennis team from 2014-2018.
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland, Watt earned his bachelor's degree in business from Coker in 2018. He played number one singles during his senior season, winning 16 singles matches in addition to 12 doubles matches, earning him first team All-SAC honors in both singles and doubles.
Watt ranks first in Coker men's tennis history with 49 career singles victories, and his 40 doubles victories ranks second all-time.
Maddy Little - Graduate Assistant Men's and Women's Tennis Coach
Maddy Little was named the graduate assistant men's and women's tennis coach in August 2018. Little played collegiate tennis at Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee.
Little earned a bachelor's degree in international relations at Maryville, and is a certified professional tennis instructor who has provided both private and group lessons at Hartsville Country Club.
Jackson Bailey - Assistant Men's and Women's Golf Coach
Jackson Bailey joined Coker College as the assistant men's and women's golf coach in August 2018. Bailey comes to Coker after a prestigious collegiate golf career at Lenoir-Rhyne University, winning the South Atlantic Conference Men's Golf Student-Athlete of the Year Award in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Bailey graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne with a degree in finance in 2018.