COACHING STAFF
BLAKE LYONS
Blake Lyons just completed his 22nd year as a high school head softball coach and his 2nd year at Northwest High School. This season the Lady Vikings were District Runner-Up and qualified for the Region Tournament for the 1st time in 40 years at NWHS. In his 1st season the Lady Vikings doubled their win total from the previous season and through the hard work of parents and supporters made many upgrades to the facility including establishing a softball locker room and indoor hitting facility for the team. The 2023 season the program saw a new concession stand and broke ground on a stand alone hitting/locker room facility. Before NWHS Lyons started the Eagle's Landing High School baseball and softball programs when the school opened in 1990. In softball he led the Eagles to a 1999 State Championship, a 1998 State Runner-Up and numerous Region Championships. After ELHS he spent one year at Stockbridge High School and led the Tigers to a sub-region championship and state playoff birth. Lyons then took over at Jones County High School and won a State Championship in 2010, Finished state 3rd place twice, and won a region championship with the Lady Hounds. While at Jones County he was also the head coach of the Special Olympics Unified Softball team where they won a state championship and represented Georgia in the National Special Olympics in Lincoln, Nebraska winning a silver medal in their division. While at Jones County he was also Head Girls Golf Coach for 6 years and helped the Lady Hounds Golfers to 3 State Top 10 finishes. Overall in 22 years as a head softball coach he has 2 State Championships, 6 State Final Fours, 11 State Elite 8's, and made the state tournament 19 out of 22 years. Lyons has 518 career wins in softball to go along with his 200+ baseball victories as a head coach.
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Lyons retired from Georgia after 30 years as a physical education teacher and assistant athletic director. He is currently employed as the ISS Supervisor at NWHS. He is married to Vikki (Forry) Lyons who is the Lead Special Education teacher at New Providence Middle School. They have 2 children, Mitchel who lives in Nashville and Rachel who lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
KEN BARNES
Coach Ken Barnes continues his softball coaching career with the Northwest Viking softball program while currently serving as the New Providence middle school head softball coach. He began coaching in 2006 with the Woodlawn Little League and helped lead them to back to back Tennessee state championships. He continued his success when he took over the Lady Titans travel-ball program. He is married to his wife of 17 years Brandy, and they have 3 grown children Zack, Holden, and Ashlie. Coach Barnes is a 16 year military veteran and currently works as a civilian at Ft Campbell Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.
GREG CLARK
Northwest High School welcomed Greg Clark to the softball coaching staff in 2022. He brings softball coaching experience from Clarksville Academy where he coached for several years. Coach Clark is retired military and is currently a teacher at Woodlawn Elementary School . He is married to Michele Pena Clark and they have two children Cameron and Courtney along with 3 grandchildren.
URSULA WRIGHT
Coach Wright continues coaching softball at Northwest High School and has had a tremendous impact as a girls soccer and girls basketball coach. She brings a calm and positive nature to the softball program and will be leaned upon in many different capacities. Coach Wright is currently the Digital Learning teacher at Northwest High, she is married to Alexis and they reside in Clarksvillle.
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