Jeff Harger - Softball Coach - Texas A&M Athletics

COLLEGE STATION, TX - February 09, 2023 - Assistant Coach Jeff Harger of the Texas A&M Aggies during the Softball game between the Tarleton State Texans and the Texas A&M Aggies at Davis Diamond in College Station, TX. Photo By Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics

Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics

Jeff Harger

Title:
Associate Head Coach

Jeff Harger came to Aggieland in June 2022 as an assistant coach working directly with the offensive development. Harger previously served as an assistant coach with Coach Ford for five seasons at Arizona State.

Harger made an immediate impact in his first season at Texas A&M as the Aggies ranked top five during SEC play in numerous offensive categories. In 24 league games, the Aggies were second in triples (5), fourth in runs (113), RBI (102) and fifth in batting average (.263), slugging percentage (.420), on base percentage (.357), hits (161) and doubles (26).

Individually, he helped elevate Julia Cottrill’s game to All-America status as the junior was named an NFCA Third Team All-American, as well as an NFCA All-South Region First Team member. Cottrill garnered All-SEC First Team honors after finishing the SEC regular season ranked in the top 10 in numerous offensive categories, including three top five rankings as No. 3 in RBI (22), No. 4 in doubles (6) and No. 5 in total bases (49). Rylen Wiggins and Koko Wooley each benefited from Harger’s mentorship as they each earned All-SEC honors. Wiggins ranked eighth-best during SEC action in batting average (.349) and on-base percentage (.453), while Wooley registered the fifth most hits in the SEC.

While at Arizona State, Harger consistently had the Sun Devil offense rank among the best nationally and in the Pac-12 Conference. In 2022, the Sun Devils led the league in scoring (6.85 runs per game), slugging percentage (.610), on-base percentage (.422), home runs per game (1.93), doubles per game (1.57) and walks (199). ASU’s home runs per game, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and scoring all ranked in the top-10 in the country.

In a shortened 2020 season, ASU led the NCAA with 50 home runs and 58 doubles in only 29 games. Harger has mentored five All-Americans and 20 all-conference performers, including the 2022 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and NFCA First Team All-American Cydney Sanders, who broke ASU’s single-season home run record with 21 dingers.

Harger was a member of Ford’s coaching staffs in 2018 and 2022 that were recognized as the NFCA’s Regional Coaching Staff of the Year. He was also a member of Ford’s staff at Fresno State that won the award in 2016 after helping the Bulldogs earn their first NCAA postseason win since 2011.

Prior to joining the Fresno State staff in 2016, Harger served as the head coach of the 18 Gold Central California Dirt Dogs organization, which was constructed in 2007 to help players from central California hone their skills to compete in the highest levels of softball.