Last Updated: June 10, 2015
Action Photo Gallery Western Pennsylvania native and former Robert Morris University assistant coach
Jaci Timko begins her second season as head softball coach and athletic academic advisor for the Gothic Knights during the 2015-16 season. She was appointed the 14
th head softball coach in New Jersey City University program history on July 2, 2014.
In her first season, she coached one Academic All-New Jersey Athletic Conference selection. The Spring 2016 season will mark the debut of her first full recruiting class.
Prior to NJCU,
Timko served as the assistant softball coach and graduate assistant in the Colonials’ Division I softball program for two seasons (2012-14) where she gained valuable experience in recruitment, practice planning, mentoring of student-athletes, organizing team travel and overseeing clinics. Additionally, she served as an early success mentor and a psychology tutor for the Moon Township, Pa. institution.
“Coach
Timko will make a great addition to our department on and off the field,” said
Ken Heaton, assistant director of athletics at the time of her appointment.. “She has an infectious personality that is second to none. Her passion and high energy level will serve her well in the fast-paced environment of collegiate coaching.”
Timko said: “I am thrilled to be a part of the Gothic Knight family where I can continue to teach the game of softball to student-athletes. My goal is to build upon the strong foundation of the program and elevate it to a higher standard of performance both on and off the field. We will focus on the fundamentals, while developing a cohesive championship vision.”
“I am also very excited that I get to interact with student-athletes academically. I want to help student-athletes achieve their academic and personal life goals, while upholding the standards that the University has placed on them.”
A part of the 2013 Northeast Conference Coaching Staff of the Year in her first season as an assistant coach, she helped the Colonials to their third-consecutive NEC regular-season title that year, posting a 30-17-1 overall mark and a 16-4 record in league play. RMU won at least 30 games for the second straight year, including a doubleheader sweep of local rival Pitt. Three Colonials won a major postseason award from the NEC in 2013 while a fourth was selected All-NEC First Team. In two full seasons on staff, RMU won 54 games.
Arguably the top hitter in Robert Morris history while playing for Coach Craig Coleman, M.D., she was a three-time All-Northeast Conference (NEC) selection, claiming First Team honors as a junior in 2011 and Second Team distinction in 2010 and 2012. As a senior in 2012, she was named the NEC Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a 2010 First-Team Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
During her career,
Timko claimed NEC Player of the Week accolades four times (April 6, 2009; April 5, 2010; February 28, 2011; May 2, 2011) and in 2009 was a two-time NEC Rookie of the Week in 2009 (March 23, April 6, dual honors).
An outfielder who possessed both power and speed, her career .359 batting average is No. 1 in program history and she is the school’s all-time leader with 130 runs scored. Additionally, she ranks second in career hits (201) and home runs (27) and fourth in career RBIs (92).
Timko is also the only Colonial to own at least three of the top 25 single-season batting averages in school history while playing four seasons on an athletic scholarship (2009-12). Meanwhile, she led RMU to four of its best seasons in school history, winning 114 games in her career, including a school-record 35 victories in 2012. The Colonials went 55-22 in the NEC during her career.
In 177 career games (170 starts), she also concluded her career with 560 at bats, 19 doubles, five triples, 43 walks, 23 steals and a .555 slugging percentage. She had 61 hits, including 10 home runs as a freshman in 2009 when she batted .396 with two four-hit games and a six-RBI effort. She added a .349 average in 2010, scoring 39 runs and a .355 mark in 2012.
During her time as both a player and coach, Robert Morris produced one of the top five team grade point averages in the country in five consecutive seasons.
A 2012 graduate of Robert Morris with a Bachelor of Science in psychology, she posted an impressive 3.67 GPA as a student-athlete. She completed a Master of Science in instructional leadership from RMU in just three semesters, concluding her graduate studies in December 2013 with a 3.8 GPA. She served in the Colonial Leadership Academy and on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and was inducted into the National Honor Society.
A native of Houston, Pa., she is a 2008 alumnae of Chartiers-Houston High School, where she was a four-year two-sport athlete in softball and tennis for the Bucs. In softball, she was a two-time
Observer Reporter Player of the Year (2006, 2008) and named to the paper’s First-Team All-Star squad all four years (2005-08). Additionally, in 2008 she was named the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Washington Edition Softball Player of the Year. She was a four-time selection to the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette All-Section and All-Star teams, the
Post-Gazette Washington Edition All-Star Team and the
Pittsburgh Tribune Review All-Star Team.
Her impressive prep career included being named the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Washington Edition Athlete of the Year, a finalist for
The Almanac Athlete of the Year and a 2008 nominee for
Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd.
On the softball diamond, she established Chartiers-Houston school records for career home runs (32) and batting average (.522) while leading the Bucs to the 2005 PIAA state finals. In 297 high school at bats, she notched 155 hits, 20 doubles, 21 triples and an incredible 1.094 slugging percentage and .667 on-base rate. She added 143 runs, 88 RBIs, 52 stolen bases and 45 walks to her resume.
“I have been very fortunate to have learned and worked with amazing coaches, faculty members, teammates, and players that have inspired and motivated me,”
Timko added. “During my time at NJCU, I strive to not only teach the game of softball, but to inspire all student-athletes to become successful individuals both on and off the field, so when they graduate, they will leave a better person and create a positive impact on the world.”
Timko, 25, was born in West Virginia and comes from a very athletic family. The niece of 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist gymnast Mary Lou Retton, her grandfather played basketball with NBA Hall of Famer and legend Jerry West and later was involved in the Yankees minor league organization. Her mother, Shari, was an All-American gymnast at West Virginia University where her father, Mike, was a quarterback for the football team.
Timko’s younger sisters, Karli and Tanya, played collegiate tennis at Marshall University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, respectively. She resides in New Brunswick, NJ with her fiance, Jake.
GET TO KNOW COACH TIMKO |
Hobbies/Interest: | Softball, watching Pittsburgh sports, cooking, baking |
Favorite part about coaching: | “Watching players grow and compete” |
Hero: | Her parents, Shari and Mike |
Favorite sports team: | Pittsburgh Steelers, Pirates, Penguins |
Favorite song: | “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey |
Favorite music artist: | Luke Bryan |
Favorite movie: | “A League of Their Own” and “Miracle” |
Favorite food: | Anything chocolate |
Did You Know?: | Personal attributes : “competitive, committed, energetic, passionate, strong work ethic, perseverance, team player”…Completed in gymnastics until the age of 13…Started played softball at age 12… |
