Jackie Rhodes named MGCCC women's soccer coach

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has officially named Jackie Rhodes its women's soccer coach.

Rhodes served as interim coach during the 2016 season, piloting the Lady Bulldogs to a 7-9-1 record.

"I'm really excited to officially be named women's head soccer coach at Gulf Coast," Rhodes said. "I look forward to the opportunity to bring this program to the next level. I'm ready to keep working on that."

Gulf Coast showed great improvement as the season wore on, compiling a 3-1-1 record in the MACJC South Division the second time through the schedule. Included in that was a thrilling 1-0 defeat of No. 17 Jones County, which Rhodes called the highlight of her professional career to date.

The Harrison Central graduate played at Gulf Coast in 2001-2002. She went on to play on the first women's soccer team at Winthrop University. She returned to Gulf Coast in 2004 as a graduate assistant, then went on to coach high school soccer at St. John, St. Patrick and West Harrison, where she won four district titles in five seasons.

She served as assistant coach at Gulf Coast in 2014.

Rhodes and her husband, Brad, have two daughters, Kennedy 4, and Riley, 19 months.

This story was originally published December 16, 2015 at 3:27 PM with the headline "Jackie Rhodes named MGCCC women's soccer coach ."