Jeannie Douglas came to Northern Colorado in 2010 -- the same point in which Mark Montgomery took over the head coaching position with the Bears.

In her two years in Greeley, Douglas has helped mold an offense that has shattered a number of school-records at Northern Colorado. Under her tutelage last season, the Bears set Division I school marks in both batting average (.291) and slugging percentage (.436). The team's .388 on-base percentage was also a Division I school-best as well as the high-water mark in the Big Sky last season.

She also worked directly with the Bears' many promising young players. Douglas even helped freshman Melissa Marcovecchio lead the nation in triples in 2012.

Before coming to Northern Colorado, Douglas won a Big 12 championship as a player on the Oklahoma softball team in 2007, and she was part of another Big 12 title this past season as a Sooners graduate assistant.

It’s safe to say Jeannie Douglas knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a conference championship.

New Northern Colorado softball coach Mark Montgomery announced Douglas' hiring on Friday, July 16, and he’s undoubtedly counting on her experiences at OU to rub off on the Bears as they continue their push for a first Pacific Coast Softball Conference crown.

Douglas was a four-year letterwinner for legendary coach Patty Gasso at Oklahoma and earned an Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection in 2009 in her final playing season in Norman.  

“Jeannie comes from not only a great playing background but also after having worked in coaching with one of the strong programs in the nation,” Montgomery said. “Her experience at Oklahoma and her enthusiasm for greatness and accountability will be invaluable as we move forward at Northern Colorado.

“While I haven’t worked with her personally, Jeannie has worked with many people in this industry whose opinion I value greatly. I have no doubt as to the kind of person she is and the effect she will have on this program.”

Douglas played in 87 games in four seasons with the Sooners and started in six games her senior year. A quick glance at her stats shows a respectable line in her time at OU, but her penchant for big plays in big situations stands out.

She finished 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit single against Missouri in the 2009 Big 12 Championship game, and she helped the Sooners reach the title tilt against the Tigers when she drew a pinch-hit walk against rival Texas earlier in the Big 12 Tournament.

Those performances personify a player confident in her ability in a limited role, and Douglas says she’s confident she’ll be able to instill similar confidence in the Northern Colorado players.

“My passion at this point in my life is coaching student-athletes at the college level,” she said. “I have the type of personality that I can help motivate and encourage these young women. I love to see players come alive as a person and really understand the bigger picture. I want to develop these athletes as a whole and be a positive figure they can rely on during their college experience.”