Kenneth Long

Kenneth Long began his career at Gulf Coast in 2002 after coaching at East Central High School (2001-2002) and Hurley (1997-2001). He led East Central to a Class 4A State Championship in 2001.

The coach of all but one season of fast-pitch softball at Gulf Coast when he retired, Long had a 584-232 record, an eye-popping .716 winning percentage. His teams won four Mississippi Association of Community and Junior College (MACJC) and four National Junior College Athletic Association (NACJC) Region 23 titles. The Lady Bulldogs also won six MACJC South Division championships. Long was named MACJC and Region 23 Coach of the Year three times, and he won the Mississippi Association of Coaches Community College Softball Coach of the Year in 2015. Four Lady Bulldogs teams advanced to the national championship tournament, with the 2007 team finishing third.

During Long’s tenure, more than 40 players went on to continue their softball careers at four-year schools, and eight Lady Bulldogs have been named All-Americans.

Long retired from MGCCC in 2019 after 18 seasons. He returned during the 2021 season to coach on an interim basis and led the Bulldogs to a fourth-place finish at the NJCAA Championship.