Belton, Texas – Long-time Temple High School golf coach Jackie Ralston has been named the new head women's golf coach at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Cru Vice-President for Athletics Randy Mann announced today. Ralston will begin her duties at UMHB on July 22nd and she becomes just the third head coach in the history of the Cru women's golf program.

Ralston comes to UMHB after spending the last five years as the Head Boys and Girls Golf Coach at Temple High School. She led the Wildcats to five Regional Tournament appearances (five individual and one team) and one individual District Championship during her tenure. Ralston also served as the Head Women's Golf Coach at Lamar University from 1992-93. She guided the Cardinals to the Sun Belt Conference championship and an NCAA Regional berth in 1993. Ralston has also served as a Golf Professional and Instructor at Wildflower Country Club, Berry Creek Country Club and Horseshoe Bay Golf Resort. She is also the Lead Golf Instructor for the Sammons Junior Golf Academy in Temple.

"We are excited to have Jackie join our staff and take over our women's golf program," Mann said. "She has a great knowledge of the game and has experience in golf at every level. She brings great passion for the game of golf and we are looking forward to continued success for our outstanding women's golf program."

Ralston is a 1985 graduate of Lamar University. She was a two-year golf letter winner at Lamar and also played two years of collegiate golf at Houston Baptist University. She then played on the Women's Futures Professional Tour from 1986-1988. Ralston served as a Student Assistant Coach at Lamar University for two years. She is a native of Temple, a graduate of Temple High School and was a four-year letter winner in golf. Ralston and her husband, Jack, have two daughters, McKenzie and McKenna. McKenzie is a junior golfer at the University of North Texas. McKenna is a senior at Temple High School and is also a member of the golf team.

"I am really excited to get back to the collegiate level, where the competition is so intense," Ralston said. "So many of my best memories have come at the collegiate level, both as a player and a coach. I've grown up here and seen the University grow and become so attractive to so many people both athletically and academically. I am looking forward to the chance to share that with people."

Ralston will inherit the defending NCAA Division III National Champions with the Cru women. UMHB posted an eight-stroke victory over American Southwest Conference rival U.T.-Tyler to claim the school's first NCAA Division III National title in May. The Cru expects to return all eight letter winners from that team. The UMHB women have won three straight ASC Championships and have ten conference titles overall.

Ralston replaces Darla Kirby as the head coach of the Cru women's golf team. Kirby started the program from scratch in 1997 and quickly built UMHB into a national power. The Cru women have the school's only two National Championships with the 2013 NCAA Division III Championships and the 2000 NAIA National Championship. Kirby moved into a full-time administrator's role when Nancy Taylor-Capps was named head coach last summer but returned as Interim Head Coach when Taylor-Capps accepted a Division II coaching position in the spring. Kirby will now return to a full-time administrator's role as UMHB's Associate Athletic Director.