Salina South High School is excited to announce Samantha Huffstickler as the new Head Softball Coach of the Cougars, pending board approval.

Coach Huffstickler has spent the past three seasons with Kansas Wesleyan University softball, primarily working with the pitching staff and infielders. During that time, the Coyotes’ pitching staff improved to an overall 3.18 ERA (2023-2025, highlighted by a 2.80 ERA in 2024) down from 3.80 ERA in 2022. She also helped develop three different pitchers who earned All-Conference honors.

Before KWU, Coach Huff spent the 2022 season assisting the University of Central Missouri, working across pitching, hitting, and defense. From 2019–2021, she served as the head coach at St. Charles Community College, leading the Cougars to their first 20+ win season since 2012 and breaking multiple program records despite the challenges of the COVID-shortened season.

In the early years of her career, Sam assisted NOC Tonkawa to its first 40-win season and in 2017 was part of a national championship run (NCCAA) as a graduate assistant with Oklahoma Baptist University. She earned her master’s degree in Sports Administration from East Central University in 2017. As a student-athlete at Arkansas Tech University, she earned her bachelor’s degree while helping the team reach back-to-back regional tournaments and host the first Super Regional in program history. Her collegiate playing career began at Three Rivers CC, where she earned postseason honors in both 2013 and 2014.

She and her husband, Tyler—entering his fourth season as the baseball pitching coach at KWU—live in Salina with their 3-year-old daughter, Parker. This fall, she will begin a new chapter in education as a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at both, South Middle School and Lakewood Middle School.

“I want to thank Ryan Stuart and the hiring committee at Salina South High School. I’m excited to lead a program with a strong history of success and continue that legacy by developing confident young women. My goal is to prepare them for life beyond high school—on the field, in college, and/or in their careers and community—while helping them define success on their own terms, not by the measure of others.”

“Coach Huffstickler has found success at every stage of her softball coaching and playing career, and I am very confident she possesses all of the tools necessary to lead our tradition-rich softball program.” said Ryan Stuart, Salina South Athletic Director.

Please welcome Coach Huffstickler, her husband Tyler and daughter Parker to the Salina South Cougar Community.