ST. LOUIS – Associate Vice President & Director of Athletics Dr. Tom Smith has announced the hiring of Ken Messer-Brooks as the head coach of the Spartan softball program. Since the summer, Messer-Brooks had been serving as interim head coach and will assume permanent head coaching responsibilities moving forward.
 
Coach "M-B" is no stranger to the MBU softball program as he has been an assistant coach for the Spartans since 2006.
 
"Please join me in congratulating Ken Messer-Brooks on his appointment to head softball coach," Smith said. "Ken has done an excellent job rallying the team and has made the transition seamless. I look forward to a strong future for the softball program here at MBU. Go Spartans!"
 
Last season, Messer-Brooks helped lead the Spartans to 31 wins, the first time the program has surpassed the 30-win plateau since 2012. MBU also strung together an impressive run as the No. 7 seed at the AMC Softball Tournament taking down No. 2 seed Lyon twice. Under Messer-Brooks' direction this fall, junior righthander Delissa Dennison pitched a perfect game in an exhibition against new NAIA member Lincoln College.
 
Prior to joining the staff at Missouri Baptist, Messer-Brooks spent one year as an assistant coach at Harris-Stowe State University, five years as head softball coach at Nerinx Hall High School and eight years as an assistant softball coach at Webster University.
 
In addition to coaching, Messer-Brooks founded the Wolverine Softball Association in 1992, has been an ASA umpire for 15+ years and has umpired CYC softball for several years. He is a retired U.S. Army Captain and attended school at Indiana Vocational College for Computer Technology.