Junior Bailey enters his fifth season as head softball coach at Chowan University.
During the 2026 season, Bailey guided the Hawks to a 32-20 overall record and a 17-11 mark in Conference Carolinas play, including a 16-4 record at home. He was honored with the 2026 Beyond the Spotlight Legacy Achievement Award in recognition of more than two decades of leadership and more than 400 collegiate victories. Bailey reached another career milestone during the 2026 campaign, earning his 500th collegiate coaching victory, while Ava Mizell made program history by breaking Chowan's single-season stolen base record with 51 steals. Under Bailey's leadership, Chowan earned multiple conference, regional, and academic honors. Abby Rutledge was named D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team, while Kyra Helton, Ava Mizell, and Makenzi Curry earned All-Conference and postseason recognition. The Hawks also placed five on the CSC Academic All-District Team and advanced to the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas Championship to round out the season.
In the 2025 season, Bailey led the Hawks to a 20-28 overall record and a 10-14 mark in conference play. The season marked the program's first appearance in the Conference Carolinas Championship and the team's highest win total since 2019. Mckenzie Misenheimer paced the offense with a .354 batting average, eight home runs, 31 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases, while Hailey Boone recorded her 150th career strikeout and became the first player in Conference Carolinas Championship history to throw a no-hitter. Five Hawks earned CSC Academic All-District honors, while 17 were named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll.
In his second season, Bailey coached three CSC Academic All-District selections, while Haleigh Reid earned Conference Carolinas All-Defensive Team honors.
During his first season at Chowan, Bailey improved the program's win total by six games while helping the Hawks surpass 100 stolen bases for the first time since 2014.
Bailey arrived in Murfreesboro after spending six seasons at Barton College (2017-22), where he guided the Bulldogs to 123 victories. During the 2022 season, he led Barton to a 29-12 overall record and a Conference Carolinas Quarterfinal appearance, marking the program's best season since 1994.
During his tenure at Barton, eight student-athletes earned All-Conference Carolinas honors, with several also receiving NCCSIA All-State recognition. In 2021, Bailey recorded his 400th career collegiate victory.
Prior to Barton, Bailey spent 10 years as Athletic Director and Head Softball Coach at Pitt Community College (2005-16). He oversaw the college's athletic department and guided the Bulldogs to 316 victories, three NJCAA National Tournament appearances, and three NJCAA Region X Championships. His success earned him Region X Coach of the Year honors three times.
Bailey coached eight NJCAA National Players of the Week and numerous all-region selections during his time at PCC. His teams also excelled academically, posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher every season.
Before his collegiate coaching career, Bailey spent a decade teaching and coaching in the Pitt County Schools system, compiling a 101-16 high school softball record and a 75-9 middle school record. One of his high school teams advanced to the third round of the state playoffs, the deepest postseason run in program history.
Before entering education and coaching, Bailey served in the United States Naval Reserve as a hospital corpsman. He has also served as a part-time youth minister at Bethel Baptist Church.
Bailey has served as the coaches' chair for both Conference Carolinas and Region X. He has also worked as a tournament director for Region X softball and volleyball championships and has led softball skills clinics in Southeast Asia while umpiring showcase events for the Amateur Softball Association (ASA).
A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Bailey earned his bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from East Carolina University and has completed leadership institutes through both Pitt Community College and the NJCAA.
Bailey and his wife, Laurie, have three sons—Walker, Matthew, and Garrett—and reside in Stokes, North Carolina.
