Kira Zeiter enters her third season at the helm of Eastern New Mexico softball and her eleventh overall as a head coach entering the 2021 season.
During the 2019-20 campaign, Zeiter led the Greyhounds to an 11-8 overall record which included a 5-1 mark in conference play. The Greyhounds recorded multiple historic wins starting with a 7-5 victory over regionally ranked Colorado Mesa at the Cactus Classic. The Greyhounds continued with a 14-9 win against UT Permian Basin where the Hounds recorded four home runs which is tied for a program-best. The Hounds finished the season breaking a 35-game losing streak against West Texas A&M, sweeping the Buffs in a double-header (4-3, 5-4).
In Zeiter’s first season in Portales, the Greyhounds finish with an overall record of 12-30 and a conference record of 8-22. Freshman Iliana Mendoza was named Third Team All-LSC at season's end after finishing second on the team with a batting average of .373.
Zeiter, a native of Tucson, Ariz., has amassed a career record of 163-279 in eleven seasons as a head coach.
Prior to joining ENMU, Zeiter spent three seasons as Urbana's head softball coach from 2015-2018 finishing 35-103 in three seasons. In the 2017 season, she led the Blue Knights to a 17-28 overall record (12-20 MEC) for a fourth-place finish in the MEC North Division to give the squad an automatic berth to the MEC Tournament. Under Zeiter's leadership, two players, Caitlyn Stoner and Courtney Stewart, became Urbana’s all-time leaders in home runs and hits, respectively.
In addition, Stoner earned All-MEC First Team, All-Atlantic Region Second Team, and MEC All-Tournament Team honors in 2017. Senior outfielder Riley Curtis was named a Google Cloud First Team Academic All-American, the first under Zeiter and in Urbana Softball history.
Before her stint at Urbana, Zeiter started her head coaching career at Fort Lewis College from 2010-2015 where she posted a 105-138 record over five seasons. She set a program record for single-season wins with 30 in her second year in 2012, while leading the Skyhawks to an NCAA-Division II Regional berth for just the second time in program history. Zeiter had the best winning percentage of any coach in FLC softball history at .432, while her 105 wins are second-most all time.
Prior to leading the Skyhawks, Zeiter got her coaching career started as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Adams State University. In three seasons as an assistant coach, she was responsible for off-campus recruiting, scouting opponents, summer camps, and day-to-day operations. She helped guide the Grizzlies to a 76-59 overall record in her time at Adams State
On the field, Zeiter had a very successful playing career as a corner infielder and outfielder for Adams State. She was a two-time ESPN: The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American, a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District VII selection, and a three-time All-RMAC and Academic All-RMAC selection.
Zeiter finished her playing career ranked in the top-10 in 11 different statistical categories in ASU's NCAA Division II era record book (1993-present). She leads the Grizzlies in career games played (198) and career games started and ranks fourth in career home runs (20), third in career RBIs (98), second in career doubles (36) and second in career walks (86).
Zeiter received both her bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and master's degree in Human Performance and Physical Education from Adams State.