{{Short description|American softball player and coach}} {{use mdy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Jennifer McFalls | image = | caption = | current_title = Head coach | current_team = Kansas | current_conference = Big 12 | current_record = {{winpct|133|170|record=y}} | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|11|10}} | birth_place = Arlington, Texas, U.S. | player_years1 = 1991–1994 | player_team1 = Texas A&M | player_years2 = 2001 | player_team2 = WPSL Gold | player_positions = Shortstop | coach_years1 = 1995–1997 | coach_team1 = Texas A&M (asst.) | coach_years2 = 1998 | coach_team2 = Oklahoma (asst.) | coach_years3 = 2003–2005 | coach_team3 = Hockaday School | coach_years4 = 2006–2009 | coach_team4 = Midlothian HS | coach_years5 = 2010–2018 | coach_team5 = Texas (asst.) | coach_years6 = 2015 | coach_team6 = Dallas Charge | coach_years7 = 2019–present | coach_team7 = Kansas | overall_record = {{winpct|133|170|record=y}} | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's softball }} {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalGold| 2000 Sydney | Team competition }} }}
'''Jennifer Yvonne McFalls''' (born November 10, 1971) is an American, former collegiate All-American, gold-medal winning Olympian softball player and current head coach originally from Grand Prairie, Texas. She is head of the Kansas Jayhawks softball. team<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nfca.org/awards/awards-history/1993-di-all-american-teams-4644 |title=1993 NSCA Division I All-America Teams |location=Nfca.org |date= |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> She played college softball at Texas A&M as a utility player and shortstop.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://12thman.com/documents/2020/2/4/2020_Softball_Media_Guide.pdf |title=2020 Texas A&M Softball Fact Book |website=12thman.com |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref> She then went on to represent Team USA, being named an Olympic alternate in 1996 and a member of the 2000 team that won gold. After her years playing softball McFalls decided to become a coach with her first position as the assistant coach at Texas A&M. Mcfalls continued to coach for many years with several different schools at many different competitive levels. She was the head coach of the National Pro Fastpitch professional softball team, the Dallas Charge for their inaugural season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kuathletics.com/sports/softball/roster/season/2020-21/coach/jennifer-mcfalls/ |title=Jennifer McFalls |date=17 April 2019 |location=Kuathletics.com |access-date=2021-02-27}}</ref>
== Early life == Born in Arlington, Texas and raised in Grand Prairie,<ref name=sports-reference>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418023252/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/jennifer-mcfalls-1.html Jennifer Mcfalls at Sports Reference]</ref><ref name=Texas>{{cite web|url=https://texassports.com/coaches.aspx?rc=1416&path=softball|title=Jennifer McFalls|publisher=University of Texas at Austin|work=TexasSports.com|access-date=July 11, 2018}}</ref> McFalls began to play softball at the early age of eight. She was first introduced to softball though her family, as many family members had encouraged her to play. As McFalls came of age, she moved on to more competitive leagues within the Dallas and Fort Worth area. She started to play for a team called the Everman Shadows. In high school, McFalls was a multisport athlete. She played volleyball, soccer, and basketball. Softball was not offered at her school, so she could not play during her high school career. Although McFalls did play in the summer on a select softball team, this is where she was first recruited by Bob Brock at A&M University at the age of 16. McFalls graduated from South Grand Prairie High School in 1990.<ref name=Texas />
== Collegiate career == At Texas A&M University, McFalls started at shortstop for Texas A&M Aggies softball from 1991 to 1994.<ref name=Texas /> She graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in kinesiology in 1997. While there, McFalls was a major component on the women's softball team. McFalls was an All-American shortstop and led her team in batting average all four seasons during her career at Texas A&M. She also led her team in hits, total bases, and slugging percentage. McFalls was named Texas A&M's Female Athlete of the Year in 1994. She was also elected to the Texas A&M hall of Fame in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hall of Fame Inductee List {{!}} Texas A&M Lettermen's Association |url=https://www.aggielettermen.org/hall-of-fame-and-honor/hall-of-fame-inductee-list/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120517155716/http://www.aggielettermen.org/hall-of-fame-and-honor/hall-of-fame-inductee-list/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-17 |website=www.aggielettermen.org |access-date=2015-12-08 }}</ref> While at Texas A&M she received the awards for All American 1993,<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.dallasasa.com/jennifer-mcfalls/|title = Jennifer McFalls|date = |access-date = 2015-12-07|website = USA Softball|publisher = |last = |first = }}{{Dead link|date=January 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> and All- South Region 1st Team during the years of 1993 and 1994.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Jennifer McFalls|url = http://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/athletes/jennifer-mcfalls|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151208120238/http://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/athletes/jennifer-mcfalls|url-status = dead|archive-date = December 8, 2015|website = Team USA|access-date = 2015-12-08}}</ref>
== USA Softball == McFalls started out her Olympic career as the 1996 alternate soon after she became the world champion gold medal winner in 1998. In the following year, she was the Pan American Games winner. From 1994 to 2000, McFalls was a part of the U.S. National team. She played in several of the 2000 Olympic games. McFalls helped score the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning in the victory over Japan, winning 2–1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jennifer McFalls Signs with Dallas Charge {{!}} DallasCharge |url=http://dallascharge.com/mcfalls-announcement/ |website=dallascharge.com |access-date=2015-12-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208173623/http://dallascharge.com/mcfalls-announcement/ |archive-date=2015-12-08 }}</ref> McFalls walked twice and scored two runs in the games overall.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/2000/September/17/Olympic-Games |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151229114419/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/Events/2000/September/17/Olympic-Games |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 29, 2015 |title=2000 Olympic Games |location=Teamusa.org |date= |access-date=2021-03-03}}</ref>
== Coaching career == McFalls first began her coaching career as an assistant coach for three seasons at Texas A&M from 1995 to 1997 and one season at the University of Oklahoma, in 1997–1998. After her seasons at the collegiate level, McFalls went on to become the fastpitch softball academy director at Power Alley in Grand Prairie, Texas from 2002 to 2003. Shortly afterward, McFalls took an assistant athletic director and head softball coach position at Hockday School in Dallas, Texas. She spent two years at the school, from 2003 to 2005. McFalls was then offered a position at Midlothian High School, in Midlothian, Texas, where she became the head coach and assistant athletic director, compiling a record of 139–48 and leading her team to five consecutive playoff appearances. During her time at Midlothian High School, she was also a part of the USA Softball selection committee from 2005 to 2010 and served as the assistant coach for Team USA at the 2010 Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship.
McFalls then started to coach for Texas in 2010, as an assistant coach under head coach Connie Clark.<ref>{{Cite web|title = UT assistant picked as 1st coach for Dallas Charge|url = http://www.hookem.com/2015/01/20/ut-assistant-picked-as-1st-coach-for-dallas-charge/|website = Hookem.com|access-date = 2015-12-08|first = Michael Adams American-Statesman|last = Staff|date = 20 January 2015}}</ref> In 2015, she was hired as the head coach for the National Pro Fastpitch team, the Dallas Charge.<ref>{{Cite web|title = The Official Website of The University of Texas Athletics|url = http://texassports.com/|website = texassports.com|access-date = 2015-12-08}}</ref> Clark resigned following the 2018 season, and McFalls did not return to the coaching staff.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hookem.com/2018/07/02/ex-texas-assistant-coach-hired-to-lead-kennesaw-states-softball-program/|title = Ex-Texas assistant coach hired to lead Kennesaw State's softball program|date = 2 July 2018}}</ref>
On August 22, 2018, McFalls was named head coach at Kansas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fastpitchnews.com/college-softball-news/jennifer-mcfalls-named-new-kansas-head-coach/353644 |title = Jennifer McFalls Named New Kansas Head Coach |website=fastpitchnews.com |first=Eric |last=Lopez |date = August 22, 2018 |access-date=August 22, 2018}}</ref>
==Statistics== ===Texas A&M Aggies=== <ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1991_697_Texas%20A&M%20University,%20College%20Station.pdf |title=Final 1991 Women's Softball Statistics Report |website=Ncaa.org |date= |access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1992_697_Texas%20A&M%20University,%20College%20Station.pdf |title=Final 1992 Women's Softball Statistics Report |website=Ncaa.org |date= |access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1993_697_Texas%20A&M%20University,%20College%20Station.pdf |title=Final 1993 Women's Softball Statistics Report |website=Ncaa.org |date= |access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web1.ncaa.org/app_data/statsPDFArchive/WSB/Softball_Women's_Division%20I_1994_697_Texas%20A&M%20University,%20College%20Station.pdf |title=Final 1994 Softball Statistics Report |website=Ncaa.org |date= |access-date=2018-06-20}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- align=center | '''YEAR''' | G | AB | R | H | BA | RBI | HR | 3B | 2B | TB | SLG | BB | SO | SB | SBA |- align=center | '''1991''' | 61 | 182 | 44 | 67 | .368 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 87 | .478% | 21 | 12 | 9 | 10 |- align=center | '''1992''' | 60 | 178 | 22 | 65 | .365 | 27 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 99 | .556% | 19 | 6 | 7 | 9 |- align=center | '''1993''' | 52 | 150 | 51 | 64 | .426 | 40 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 108 | .720% | 25 | 4 | 11 | 12 |- align=center | '''1994''' | 76 | 226 | 51 | 83 | .367 | 33 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 114 | .504% | 26 | 9 | 17 | 20 |- align=center | '''TOTALS''' | '''249''' | '''736''' | '''168''' | '''279''' | '''.379''' | '''126''' | '''11''' | '''24''' | '''48''' | '''408''' | '''.554%''' | '''91''' | '''31''' | '''44''' | '''51''' |}
==Head coaching record== ===College=== {{CBB yearly record start | type =coach | conference = | postseason= }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Kansas Jayhawks | conference = Big 12 Conference | startyear = 2019 | endyear = Present }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2019 | name = Kansas | overall = 15–36 | conference = 3–15 | confstanding = 6th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2020 | name = Kansas | overall = 13–13 | conference = 0–0 | confstanding = | postseason = Season canceled due to COVID-19 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2021 | name = Kansas | overall = 22–26 | conference = 2–16 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2022 | name = Kansas | overall = 20–36 | conference = 3–15 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2023 | name = Kansas | overall = 25–27 | conference = 5–13 | confstanding = 7th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2024 | name = Kansas | overall = 28-25-1 | conference = 11–16 | confstanding = 5th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2025 | name = Kansas | overall = 22-28 | conference = 6-18 | confstanding = 9th | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | season = 2026 | name = Kansas | overall = 35-18 | conference = 14-10 | confstanding = 5th | postseason = }} {{CBB yearly record subtotal | name = Kansas | overall = {{winpct|140|176|record=y}} | confrecord = {{winpct|33|87|record=y}} }} {{CBB yearly record end | overall = {{winpct|140|176|record=y}} }}
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == * {{Team USA|new_id=jennifer-mcfalls-912605|old_id=MC/Jennifer-McFalls|archive=20220711235204}} * {{Olympics.com}} * {{Olympedia}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:McFalls, Jennifer}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:American softball players Category:American female sports coaches Category:American softball coaches Category:Softball coaches from Texas Category:Kansas Jayhawks softball coaches Category:Texas A&M Aggies softball players Category:Texas Longhorns softball coaches Category:Oklahoma Sooners softball coaches Category:Olympic softball players for the United States Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in softball Category:Softball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:South Grand Prairie High School alumni Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Sportspeople from Grand Prairie, Texas Category:Sportspeople from Ellis County, Texas Category:Sportspeople from Arlington, Texas Category:Softball players from Texas Category:Texas A&M Aggies softball coaches Category:20th-century American sportswomen