Jon Hunter

KT & Corie King

Title

Associate Head Softball Coach
Email

jhunter9@uco.edu
Phone

405-974-2144

In his 12th year at Central Oklahoma is Jon Hunter, who has helped the Bronchos become one of the elite programs in NCAA Division II.

He was hired in 2013 as an assistant coach and has guided the Bronchos to nearly 450 wins in 11 season. Hunter was promoted to associate head coach in 2024.

The Bronchos have amassed an amazing 446-160 record during Hunter's tenure, having won 40-plus games eight times. UCO has made nine national tournament appearances and won four Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season titles in that span.

UCO has had 64 All-MIAA selections, 34 All-Central Regional honorees and 15 All-Americans while Jon has been on the staff.

The Bronchos went 41-17 in qualifying for the national tournament in Hunter's first season in 2014 and made another playoff appearance in 2015 while finishing 41-20.

Jon helped UCO make the national tournament again in 2016 and the Bronchos went back in 2017 after winning the MIAA regular-season and tournament titles in finishing 48-11. Central went 34-22 the following season in just missing the NCAA playoffs.

The Bronchos put together a fantastic 2019 campaign, claiming the league regular-season and tournament championships and finishing 48-8. UCO was ranked No. 1 nationally the final three weeks of the season and won the Central Region I Tournament before being eliminated in the Central Super Regional by eventual national champion Augustana.

Central was limited to 25 games in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, finishing 13-12, then won the MIAA crown and made another trip to the national tournament in 2021 in going 36-14.

Hunter helped the Bronchos to another fantastic season in 2022. UCO finished 48-13 for its third 48-win season in six years and once again qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs, taking the Central Region II title before falling to eventual national champion Rogers State in the Central Super Regional.

The Bronchos were even better in 2023, winning a school-record 54 games in finishing 54-9 while making their first Division II World Series appearance since 2013. UCO captured the regular season and MIAA tournament titles before claiming the Central Regional crown.

Central went 2-2 at the World Series in Chattanooga, Tenn. in finishing in the top four. Head coach Cody White along with Hunter and fellow assistant Jordan Dixon were named the Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the NFCA.

The Bronchos enjoyed another successful season in 2024, finishing 43-14 while making it back to the national tournament for the fourth consecutive year.

Jon was an assistant basketball coach at Edmond North from 1999-04, helped with baseball from 2004-13 and served as a softball assistant from 2008-13.

Hunter helped lead the ENHS baseball squad to the 2012 Class 6A state championship and he was the interim head softball coach in the fall of 2012 when the Huskies captured the Class 6A state title.

A native of Clinton High School, Hunter played collegiately at St. Gregory’s before graduating from UCO. He and his wife, Traci, have two daughters (Abby and Halle).