LIVINGSTON, Ala. – The University of West Alabama Department of Athletics has announced promotions for three staff members, effective September 1, 2007.

Senior Women’s Administrator Janet Montgomery will relinquish head softball coaching duties and add Assistant Athletic Director responsibilities to her SWA role, with an emphasis on academic coordination for student-athletes. After serving for 19 seasons at the helm of the Tiger softball program and winning five Gulf South Conference Softball Championships and a berth in the 1997 NCAA Regional Tournament, Montgomery will replace Assistant Athletic Director Wes Gordon who is moving to the university’s Office of Institutional Advancement. Montgomery is the all-time winningest head coach in UWA history and also coached the Tiger volleyball team from 1988-91. She was the GSC Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1990.

Assistant softball coach Will Atkinson will move to the position of head softball coach and graduate assistant softball coach Paige Jones will be promoted to the top assistant’s spot.

Atkinson, who enters his second season at UWA, will step back into a head coaching role for the first time since leaving Lambuth University where he was the top man for the Eagles from 2000-2005. Atkinson was the Mid-South Conference Softball Coach of the Year in 2005. Atkinson is a native of Madison, Alabama.

Jones, a four-year letterwinner at Auburn, enters her second season with the UWA softball team and first in a full-time capacity. In her time at Auburn, the Alabaster, Alabama native was named First Team All-SEC (2005), Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American (2005) and an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.

Comments from UWA Director of Athletics E. J. Brophy:

“What’s best for the entire university as a whole must always come first. Janet Montgomery is a tremendous administrator and will do a great job as SWA and Assistant AD. Will Atkinson and Page Jones are very solid softball people and we know that they will do a fine job in their new positions as well. We appreciate Wes Gordon’s contributions to athletics and wish him the best in his new endeavors.”

“Now it’s time to continue to roll up our shirt sleeves as a team and move our great university forward in all areas, and with the outstanding leadership of President Richard Holland we can reach great heights here at UWA.”