Wilbert Early, one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's most gifted young minds in the field of softball, returns for his sixth season as assistant coach of the Lady Jaguars.

Early, a native of New Orleans, La., was an outstanding scholar athlete during his time at Francis T. Nicholls Sr. High. He attended Southern University in 1982 on a mathematics scholarship and the following year transferred to Tulane University, finishing in 1987.

Early has coached at several New Orleans area high schools beginning, as a football assistant at Francis T. Nicholls. Early moved on to at John McDonogh Sr. High, where he began his softball coaching career serving from 1990 until 1997 compiling a record of 194 wins and 61 losses. He ended his high school tenure at John F. Kennedy Sr. High before coming aboard as the Lady Jaguars first skipper on Nancy Marshall's staff.

Early is currently a deacon at Watson Memorial Teaching Ministries and a member of Giving Back To The Hood Inc.