LAKE CHARLES, La. - Georgia Southern head softball coach Natalie Poole will resign and accept the head coaching position at McNeese State, it was announced Tuesday.

Poole returns to her alma mater and becomes the ninth head coach in program history. She was an assistant coach from 1999-2001 before coming to Statesboro.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to come back to start rebuilding a program that I once was a part of," Poole said. "It is a program that I am familiar with and I look forward to being a part of the improvements around McNeese State and the softball program. I also look forward to coming back to my alma mater. It's a place I call my second home."

Poole is Georgia Southern’s all-time winningest coach and has a 212-215 career record in seven seasons. She guided the Eagles to their third straight Southern Conference Tournament championship game earlier this month.

Poole is also the school’s all-time leader in conference wins, posting an 84-61 (.579) ledger. She finished .500 or better in league play six out of seven years and placed in the top four every year but one.

The 2008 campaign was arguably her best, compiling a 37-30 overall record and 13-8 in the SoCon. The 2002 Southern Conference Coach of the Year fell one victory short of the school record for wins in a season and the second-place finish in the standings tied GSU’s best during her tenure. She mentored the league’s player of the year, Robyne Siliga, and had a school-record eight all-conference performers. The team led the SoCon in eight categories and set 23 school records.

Georgia Southern Director of Athletics Sam Baker said a national search will begin immediately.