Coaches

Stan Wells

Stan Wells completed his seventh season as the head softball coach at LeTourneau University in 2023. Prior to taking over as head coach of the YellowJackets, Wells served as an assistant coach for three years.

FAST FACTS

Years at LeTourneau (as head coach): 7 (2017-present)

Years at LeTourneau (overall): 10 (2014-present)

Coaching record: 121-140 (.464)

Conference record: 84-96 (.467)

ASC Tournaments: 4 (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023)

ASC Tournament record: 3-6 (.333)

MILESTONE COACHING WINS

No. 1: Feb. 4, 2017 at Centenary (W, 7-1)

No. 50: April 12, 2019 vs. UT Dallas (W, 5-3)

No. 100: March 11, 2023 vs. Concordia Texas (W, 4-2)

PROGRAM ACCOLADES UNDER WELLS

First NCAA Region ranking (2023, No. 6)

First NFCA Top 25 receiving vote (2023)

1 three-time All-ASC selection (Bailey Richey)

Most wins in a season (28 in 2023)

Most conference wins in a season (18 in 2019)

34 All-ASC selections

2 ASC Newcomer of the Year awards (Haydn Parker, 2019; Murphy Williams, 2023)

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Wells' program put together its best season in 2023. The YellowJackets won a program record 28 games and compiled a .636 winning percentage. Wells became the program's winningest coach during the season and eclipsed 100 career wins in the process. The YellowJackets garnered a spot in the NCAA region rankings twice, topping out at No. 6, and also were under consideration for the NFCA Top 25. The team had four wins over top 25 opponents, including a sweep of No. 23 Hardin-Simmons. Eight players earned All-ASC honors with Murphy Williams garnering Newcomer of the Year.


Two season records also fell in 2023. Hailee Leger broke the program record for ERA as she finished with a 1.40 mark to lead the ASC. Maddie Flanery swiped 30 stolen bases to set the program record as the YellowJackets stole a single-season program record 127 bases.


In the shortened 2020 season, LeTourneau went 10-7 overall, 5-1 in the ASC. LETU beat No. 12 Central (Iowa) at the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The YellowJackets had one series sweep before the season was cut short.


The 2019 campaign saw LETU set a school record for wins (24) en route to finishing third overall in the ASC regular season standings to qualify for the ASC Championship Tournament for just the fourth time in the program's 20-year history. The third place finish also was a program best. Highlights of the season included a win over No. 23 nationally-ranked Transylvania University, three ASC conference series sweeps and a walk-off win over Texas-Dallas in the ASC Tournament.


Wells worked with a pair of all-conference pitchers, Kayla Cosby in 2016 and Taylor Thibodeaux in 2014. Cosby posted a 10-10 mark with a 2.45 ERA and 68 strikeouts. She made 25 appearances, including 18 starts in 117 innings of work. Thibodeaux recorded an 8-7 mark with a 3.86 ERA in her senior season on the way to becoming the program's all-time wins leader during the season.

BEYOND LETOURNEAU

In addition to his coaching duties at LeTourneau, Wells serves as the owner of the Sandlot in Longview. The Sandlot offers four indoor batting cages and five pitching lanes for baseball and softball players of all ages.


Additionally, Wells was the director of scouting and assistant coach for the Texas Charge of the National Pro Fastpitch League in 2017.


Wells was inducted into the Texas Bombers organization Hall of Honor in 2020.


A highly-acclaimed travel ball coach for over a decade, Wells coached in the Bombers organization from 2009-19. It was a journey that began because his daughter, Taylor Wells Jones, was a member of the original team in 2009. The organization grew from two teams that first year to 150 teams in multiple states by 2019.


In 2016, Wells' team won the 16-under Amateur Softball Association National Championship in Tulsa, Okla. The Bombers went undefeated at the national tournament that summer. In 2014, the Bombers finished fifth at the 16U Gold National Championships in Montgomery, Alabama.

FAMILY

Wells and his wife, Staci, are the parents of a daughter, Taylor, and son, Curt.

YEAR-BY-YEAR

2017: 15-25, 10-20 ASC

2018: 15-23, 11-19 ASC

2019: 24-17, 18-12 ASC (ASC Tournament, most conference wins in a season)

2020: 10-7, 5-1 ASC

2021: 14-16, 13-14 ASC (ASC Tournament)

2022: 15-26, 11-19 ASC (ASC Tournament)

2023: 28-16, 16-11 ASC (ASC Tournament, most wins in a season)