Sometimes when you build a program from scratch it is a lengthy process to become competitive. That is not the case with fifth-year head coach Rita Jordan, who guided the Cowgirls to a national ranking and an American Southwest Conference West Division title in just her second season with the Cowgirls and in the third and fourth years the Cowgirls won the ASC title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Jordan has a career mark of 101-64-1.

Last year Jordan took the Cowgirls won their second straight ASC title and went back to the NCAA Tournament. Her team finished 29-16, but got hot at the right time to claim the ASC Title. Arin Spence was named the league's pitcher of the year for the third straight year, Sadye Hill was the ASC hitter of the year and both were named second team All-Americans.

In 2006, the Cowgirls went 30-12, won the ASC title and won a game in the NCAA regional. Nicole Cortez and Arin Spence were named All-Americans and five players Spence, Cortez, Sadye Hill, Lydia Bradley and freshman Cricket Criner earned all-region honors. Criner was the ASC West Freshman of the Year, Cortez was the ASC West Player of the Year and Spence was the ASC West Pitcher of the Year.

In 2005, the Cowgirls finished with a 32-9 mark and produced an All-American and three all-region performers. Sadye Hill was a third-team All-American and Hill, Arin Spence and Nicole Cortez earned all-region accolades. Spence was named the player and pitcher of the year in the ASC.

She was hired in the summer of 2003 and fielded a team that went 10-27-1 in the first year, but showed signs of improvement late in the year. Jordan has built the program entirely from scratch and now HSU features a top-of-the-line playing field at Cowgirl Field along with a state-of-the-art fieldhouse that includes a training room, locker rooms, coaches offices, a meeting room and indoor hitting and pitching tunnels.

The former Hawley head coach and Abilene Christian assistant coach is the first softball coach in the program's history. Jordan is a 1974 graduate of Tarleton State University with a degree in Health and Physical Education and a minor in English.

Jordan was part of the Hawley Independent School System from 1977 to 1997, where she served as a teacher, at-risk coordinator and coach. She coached the softball team from 1994 to 1997. She also coached the basketball, tennis, and volleyball teams at different times in her tenure at Hawley. In her four years as the softball coach, her teams went to the regional finals in 1994, won the 3A state championship in 1995, went to the area finals in 1996, and won the state 2A championship in 1997. After the 1997 season, she was named Texas Sports Writers' Association State Coach of the Year and was one of five finalists for national coach of the year honors.

After the 1997 season, Jordan changed career directions and became an assistant softball coach at Abilene Christian University. She was with the Wildcats for five seasons before teaching in the Abilene Independent School System this past school year. While at ACU she earned her Master's of Education Degree in School Administration.

Jordan and her husband of 33 years, Lonnie, have two adult children and one grandchild and live in Hawley.