CCC Sports
Jeremy Nelson, Sports Information Director
McPHERSON – Central Christian College Athletic Director, Twiggs Reed, is pleased to announce the hiring to two new coaches for the Central Softball and Tennis programs for the 2017-2018 season.
Central Christian College welcomes Aaron Annis, of Sterling, Kansas, as the new women’s softball coach. Coach Annis is a 2013 graduate of Tabor College where he was a member of the Blue Jay football team for two seasons. Fast pitch softball has been a part of Coach Annis’ life since the age of 9 when he was introduced to the game by his father who was an accomplished high school and college softball coach. His father started a 12U boys fast pitch team where Coach Annis starred as pitcher, winning three national championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007. After graduation from Tabor in the spring of 2013, Coach Annis spent two years as an assistant coach at Sterling College before becoming the head coach at Moundridge High School, in Moundridge, KS. In his two years at Moundridge he was able to lead his team to the state tournament where they came up short in the opening round 1-0.
Reed says of Coach Annis, “Aaron brings experience at both the collegiate level and high school level of coaching. We are thrilled to have him leading the women’s softball program and look forward to him building off of the young team that previous Coach Mark Ritchhart had been developing.”
Coach Annis is excited to lead the Tiger softball program saying, “I’m truly blessed to be a part of the Central Christian College family. I’m excited to get the ball rolling this fall and to meet my new team and to work with Coach Baker. It’s been my dream to be a head softball coach at the college level and Central has given me that opportunity.”
Aaron is married to Ashlee Annis who is the cheer and dance coach at Central. The Annis’ currently live in Sterling, but have plans to move to the McPherson area in the near future.
The Central Athletic Department would also like to welcome back Jeremy Nelson to the position of Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach. Jeremy was the men’s and women’s tennis coach at Central Christian from 2008 to 2014 during which time he led the men’s program to back to back NCCAA National Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2012. After taking a three-year break from coaching, Coach Nelson will be back on the courts leading the tennis program in 2017.
Nelson is a 1997 graduate of Bethany College where he was two time 1st Team All-KCAC selection. After graduating from Bethany, he spent the next 9 years teaching and coaching at Elyria Christian School before joining the Central family in the spring of 2008. He has been serving at Central Christian College for the past 9 ½ years. He will now add head coach to his regular duties which include being the Director of Sports Information and the Associate Athletic Director.
“I’m thrilled to have Jeremy back coaching at Central Christian College,” said Central AD Twiggs Reed. “Jeremy has a great passion for young people and has a natural gift as a coach. I’m excited that he will be using his talents once again to make a difference on the court as well as spiritually in the lives of the tennis team.”
“I am looking forward to being back on the court as the leader of the Tiger Tennis Program,” says Coach Nelson. “I am most excited about using the gifts the Lord has given me to once again pour into the lives of young men and women both on and off the tennis court.”
Coach Nelson and his wife Carol live in McPherson, and have two daughters Caitlyn (15), and Emalee (10).