BRISTOL, Tenn. – King University head softball coach
Kyleigh Payne announced the hires of
Danielle Parks '20 as an assistant coach and
Jarrod Aistrop as a volunteer assistant coach.
"I am very excited about the addition of the alumni Danielle Parks to the Tornado staff," Payne said. "Her passion, love for the game and this school will go such a long way. She will bring a lot to our program. We are both ready to hit the ground running!"
Parks spent the last year as an assistant coach at Yakima Valley College in Yakima, Wash. Prior to that, Parks was a student-athlete at King and is currently a member of the United States Reserves as a specialist.
"I am very excited for this opportunity, I cannot think of anywhere else I would want to be," Parks said. "King has had the greatest impact on me as an athlete, coach and person. The Tornado culture is one that I am much familiar with and very grateful to be part of. I plan to invest everything I can to continue the growth and success of this program. I am ready to get on the field and have a great season!"
Parks played softball at King from 2017-20, appearing in 111 career games and making 76 starts. The second basemen scored 43 runs and was a career .251 hitter for the Tornado. She helped the Tornado win the Conference Carolinas Tournament in 2018 and qualify for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional. While there, the Tornado became the first team in school history to win a game in an NCAA Tournament, going 2-2 at the regional.
The Tornado won 30 games in three of her four years on campus as her senior season was cut short due to the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020. In all, King won 110 games in Parks' four-year career.
Parks graduated from King in 2020 with a degree in Business with a concentration in Management and Marketing.
Aistrop served in the United State Marine Corps for seven before and was a deputy and patrol sergeant for the Wise County Sheriff's Office for 10 years.
"I'm so blessed to have Coach Aistrop a part of this squad," Payne said. "Adding him was one of the best decisions I have made. He is such a hard worker and wants nothing but the best for this program. He has been a great addition from the jump. He will do great things here at King University."
Most recently, Aistrop was a special education teach at the Wise County Schools. Over that last 10 years he coach softball at Central High School and Union High School.
"I have dedicated the last 10 years coaching at the high school level," Aistrop said. "I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity to be part of this team and coaching staff. King is a very special place, and I am very excited to help this team continue to grow and succeed in the future."
Aistrop earned a degree in education from the University of Virginia's College at Wise and earned his Bachelor of Science in History from King.
