ELLISVILLE – A very familiar face is now in charge of Jones College softball.
 
Former Bobcat standout and assistant coach Tori Dew was officially introduced as the head coach during a press conference Thursday morning in the McLellan Hall Media Room on campus.
 
Dew is ecstatic about her new role.
 
"Jones changed my life, both as a player and the past five years here as an assistant," she said. "I've had a lot of great days in my life and this is the greatest day of my life. I truly believe the best is yet to come. I know I'm inheriting a very successful program and I know I have very big shoes to fill. Moving forward, the success is going to be there. I like to compete and win in whatever I do."
 
Dew takes over for Chris Robinson, who retired after 14 years as head coach to become the school's fulltime athletic director. The Bobcats went 50-10 this past season, won the MACCC title for the eighth time under Robinson and finished runner-up in the NJCAA Division II World Series.
 
She becomes only the fourth head softball coach in school history.
 
Dew had been the Jones College associate head coach for the past two years and has been an assistant with the Bobcats for the past five seasons.
 
Dew praised Robinson with putting her in position to be successful as a player and a coach.
 
"To the man that brought me here and has been a mentor for me for 10 years, I can't say thank you enough for what you have meant to me," she said. "I guess you found me as a 15-year-old from smalltown, Mississippi, right up the road from Quitman (Stonewall)."
 
While in high school, she said the Panthers were scheduled to play at South Jones, but the game was moved to Community Bank Park/Gwen Magee Field because of rain and the rest is history.
 
"One day it rained too much at South Jones and we got to play here on the field at Jones," she said. "That day changed my life forever. Two years here wasn't enough as a player. If I could have spent four years here, I would have chosen that in a heartbeat."
 
After serving two years as an assistant coach, Dew was named associate head coach in the summer of 2021. Several months ago, Dew knew Robinson would be leaving as head coach at the conclusion of the 2023 season and she would be taking over as the top Bobcat.
 
"Jones has made this transition as seamless as possible," she said. "Jones is my family and I would not be here today without everyone involved here. When they say, 'Jones in my bones,' it is completely imbedded in my bones."
 
Dew was a star player with the Bobcats.
 
She was named the 2014 Dudley NJCAA Division II Player of the Year when she batted .602 with 20 home runs and a 1.111 slugging percentage. She was also an NJCAA Division II First Team All-American, named to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament Team and was an All-Region 23 selection.

As a sophomore in 2015, Dew hit .474 with 15 home runs and 59 RBIs with a .932 slugging percentage. She was named an NJCAA Division II Second Team All-American, All-Region 23 and participated in the Canadian Open International Fastpitch Tournament where she was named to the All-Tournament Team. 

Dew and former Jones teammate, Lauren Holifield, received NJCAA Marucci Elite Hitting Awards following the 2015 season.

Dew played at Southern Miss in 2016-17, starting in 110 games for the Eagles and helping them to a combined 57 wins in two seasons. She was a .302 lifetime hitter with 28 doubles, three home runs and 52 RBIs. 

Off the field, Dew was a Conference USA Academic Medalist, C-USA All-Academic Team and C-USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll recipient.
 
Dew credits Jones College President Dr. Jesse Smith, the college's Board of Trustees and everyone associated with Jones with helping her be where she is today.
 
"What a day," she said. "My whole journey would not be possible without a village to help me get here. Like Coach Rob said, it all does start at the top with our Board and our President (Dr. Jesse Smith) and I want to thank you.
 
"It was 10 years ago when I walked on to this campus. You can tell the true culture of a place by the longevity of the people here and what the environment is like. From the grounds to the cafeteria to everything in between there is a complete family here at Jones and I want to thank you for what you have built here."
 
Dr. Smith is pleased to have someone of Dew's caliber to be coach of the Bobcat softball team.
 
"This is a special moment," he said during the press conference. "We are celebrating two things: A championship coach in Chris Robinson and the evidence of that great program. It is evident with our new coach coming in here. She was a player here and an All-American. She was a force of nature. It was so exciting when she would come to bat because you knew there was a good chance some runs were going to be scored.
 
"That intensity, that professionalism and that focus is what makes a great coach, along with that ability to lead. There is one thing we do here well and that is teach women athletes how to lead and how to win and we've done a great job with that."
 
Dew worked primarily with hitters and infielders in her five years as associate head coach and assistant coach.
 
This past season, the Bobcats were 10th nationally in home runs with 79.
 
Jones was fifth in the country in home runs (86), eighth in extra-base hits (201) and Top 15 in runs scored (429) in 2022 as part of a 44-win season. The Bobcats ranked in the Top 10 in the country in doubles, triples, home runs and extra-base hits in the 2021 season.
 
Dew said Parker Conrad will continue as pitching coach and a new assistant coach will be hire soon.