ULM Warhawks

Jessica Thornton enters her fifth season as an assistant coach for the ULM Warhawks.
 
Thornton first joined the staff in 2016 as an assistant coach under former head coach Corey Lyon. Since, Thornton has made both an offensive and defensive impact on the program.
 
Thornton coached all-star athlete Rochelle Roberts. Roberts, a four-time Sun Belt All-Conference player, became a Top-25 USA/ASA Player of the Year candidate in 2016 and graduated in 2018 and signed off as one of the most successful base runners in ULM History.
 
Thornton also had a hand in coaching Sydney McKay, who broke ULM’s all-time hits record (249). McKay was a two-time Sun Belt All-Conference player, a member of the All-South Central Region team in 2019 and was a finalist for Sun Belt Female Athlete of the Year in 2018.
 
The Vancouver, Washington native played two seasons as an outfielder at Mount Hood Community College, under Jacksonville State alum, coach Meadow McWhorter. She earned NFCA All-America honors as a sophomore and Southern Region Player of the Year as a freshman. She led MHCC to a combined 69-18 record, a Southern region title, and back-to-back NWAC championships. She was named the MHCC Female Athlete of the Year in 2011 and earned a Southern Region First Team honor. Thornton also earned NWAACC All-Academic honors as a sophomore.
 
She then transferred to Jacksonville State University where she finished her playing career as an outfielder and designated hitter under long-time coach Jana McGinnis. Thornton appeared in 98 games for the Gamecocks and made 87 starts during her two-year JSU career. The Gamecocks won the 2013 Ohio Valley Championship, which gave them a birth to the 2013 NCAA regional tournament in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
 
She is married to Cole Thornton and they have a son, Colby. Thornton earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science and wellness and a master’s degree in human performance.