Head coach Lu Harris-Champer and the Georgia softball program announced Friday Tara Archibald joined the Bulldogs as an assistant coach.

A native of Johnston City, Ill., Archibald joins the Bulldogs having served as a manager and coach of the Southern Force Softball Organization from 2003-11.

“I’ve been watching Tara for years and for a long time now I’ve wanted her to be part of our program,” Harris-Champer said. “Now that she is here, it’s exactly what I thought it would be. I’m very excited about her being a part of our team and helping us as we expire to reach our goals.”

Through her role with the Southern Force, an elite level travel ball program, Archibald developed and assisted more than 50 high school athletes in earning college scholarships including five that went on to earn collegiate All-America honors. Archibald led the Southern Force Organization to five Final Four appearances at the ASA 16U “A” Nationals including a Runner-Up National Championship in 2007. Her squad also finished second in the 16U Independence Day Tournament in Boulder, Colo., in 2007 and then won the tournament in 2011.

Additionally, Archibald was an assistant coach at Pinckneyville High School from 2005-06. The Panthers won Conference, Regional and Sectional Championships in both 2005 and 2006, and in 2005, they advanced to finish fourth at the IHSA State Tournament. Archibald also served as the head coach of the Pinckneyville Middle School team from 2005-06 leading her squat to a Regional Championship and a fourth-place finish at the IJHSAA State Tournament.

A member of the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale softball team from 2000-03, Archibald helped the Salukis earn their first NCAA Tournament win in 2003 en route to advancing to the school’s first Sweet 16 appearance. Archibald also excelled in the classroom at SIU as a four-time NCAA Scholar Athlete Award winner and recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award in 2003. In 2004, Archibald completed her Bachelor’s Degree at SIU in Elementary Education gradating Summa Cum Laude. She then taught Junior High Language Arts from 2004-05 at CUSD #204 in Pinckneyville and third grade at Pinckneyville Elementary school.

Archibald is married to Bryan Archibald, and they have three children: Aiden, 5, Maddux, 2, and Payton, 1.