Hayley Sims entered her second season as an assistant coach with the Jacksonville State softball program in 2025, returning to her alma mater after a standout playing career and early coaching success. A former Gamecock first baseman from 2016 to 2019, Sims was instrumental in helping Jax State capture three Ohio Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships while advancing to three NCAA Regional appearances. Over nearly 200 career games with 166 starts, she recorded more than 1,200 putouts and committed just nine errors at first base. Offensively, she tallied 39 extra-base hits, including 14 home runs, highlighted by a memorable 11th-inning walk-off home run against No. 24 Ole Miss at Jana McGinnis Field.
After graduating in 2019 with a degree in special education, Sims began her coaching career at Coastal Carolina before moving to Eastern Kentucky as an assistant coach. In her first season at EKU, the Colonels posted a 35–17 record and won the OVC Tournament, earning an NCAA Regional berth. She later returned to Jacksonville State prior to the 2023–24 season and now serves as the Gamecocks’ recruiting coordinator. Sims brings firsthand championship experience, defensive expertise, and recruiting acumen to a program with a strong tradition of success.
