Coaching Staff
Eddie Ward
Head Coach
eward@canes.gsw.edu
(229) 931-2174
Eddie Ward is entering his ninth season as head coach and his 10th overall with the softball program at Georgia Southwestern. The Lady Hurricanes are coming off a 22-28 season in 2011, a two-win improvement from 2010 and the most wins by GSW in five years of NCAA Division II competition.
The Lady 'Canes made school history late in the 2009 season when they won the University's first NCAA Division II postseason game in any team sport - an opening round victory in the Peach Belt Conference tournament.
Ward is a 1970 graduate of Therrell High School in Atlanta, Ga. He graduated from Georgia Southwestern in 1974 with a B.S. in Education. After teaching two years of high school, Ward returned to GSW and completed 45 quarter hours towards his MEd.
While at GSW, Ward played baseball for the Hurricanes for two years. He was also a member of the Blue Key Honor Society and Past Archon Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity.
Ward is married to Betty Anne Scifres and has two daughters, Julie Anne Usher and Christie Ward.
Here's a look at Ward's coaching history:
| POSITION | SCHOOL | YEAR | WINS | - | LOSSES | AFFILIATION |
| Assistant Coach | GSW | 2003 | 28 | - | 27 | NAIA |
| Head Coach | GSW | 2004 | 34 | - | 24 | NAIA |
| 2005 | 31 | - | 22 | NAIA | ||
| 2006 | 21 | - | 34 | NAIA | ||
| 2007 | 11 | - | 35 | NCAA Division II | ||
| 2008 | 19 | - | 29 | NCAA Division II | ||
| 2009 | 13 | - | 37 | NCAA Division II | ||
| 2010 | 20 | - | 31 | NCAA Division II | ||
| 2011 | 22 | 28 | NCAA Division II | |||
| Overall head coaching record | 171 | - | 240 | |||
Christie Ward
(229) 931-7012
Christie Ward enters her second season as an assistant coach with Georgia Southwestern softball. She is also the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Georgia Southwestern State University.
Ward is a former member of the Lady ‘Cane softball program from 2001-2003. She was a two-time All-Conference and an All-Region centerfielder for the Blue & Gold. Off the field, Ward was also a two-time Academic All-American. During her final two seasons of eligibility at GSW, Ward started in all 103 games, hit .309 with six doubles, three triples and 49 RBIs.
Prior to Americus, Ward was a member of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College softball program. She was a member of the nationally ranked Fillies team and was also an Academic All-American at ABAC.
The Americus native graduated magna cum laude from Georgia Southwestern with a B.S. in Political Science. She later graduated from John Marshall Law School in 2007.
Samantha Floyd
(229) 931-2220
Georgia Southwestern Head Softball Coach Eddie Ward named Samantha Floyd assistant softball coach in August of 2011. As assistant coach, Floyd will be the Hurricanes’ pitching coach.
“Sam was one of the fiercest competitors I’ve seen while pitching at Armstrong Atlantic. Her competitiveness and dominant attitude on the mound were things I felt our program needed,” said Coach Ward. “Her tremendous experience as a pitcher and her competitive fire will help this program in all areas.”
Floyd spent the 2011 season as an assistant coach with the Savannah State softball program. She had been the graduate assistant with the Armstrong Atlantic State program the year before.
Floyd played at Armstrong Atlantic State during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. She batted .345 with nine homeruns and 55 RBIs during the two seasons with the Pirates. During that same time, she started 32 games and posted 16 wins, 22 complete games with a 2.55 ERA over 216 innings pitched. She lettered in softball at Middle Tennessee State (2006-07) as a pitcher and infielder prior to her time in Savannah.
Prior to her college career she was a decorated player at Gordon Lee High School. Her accolades there included a Georgia state championship, three All State awards and an All State Pitcher of the Year award in 2004.
Samantha Floyd is a native of Rossville, Georgia and graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State with a bachelor’s degree in health science.
