Justin Kniffen. (Tyler ISD)

Tyler Legacy will be looking for a new head softball coach.

After turning the program around in his seven seasons at the helm, Justin Kniffen has resigned his position as head softball coach. Kniffen will remain at Tyler Legacy High School and become an assistant principal.

“It was always in the plans,” Kniffen said. “Kind of timing it out with Mal (recently graduated daughter Mallory Kniffen), the plan was to coach for seven years, but seven years got here so fast. I’ve had my principal stuff for 10 years and never used it. But I realized that it’s time, and I get to do it at a good place that I love with a great administration and really good kids. It’s a different transition for sure, but I’m excited about it.”

Kniffen was hired to take over the then Tyler Lee softball program in 2017 after going 339-118 with four state tournament appearances in 13 seasons at Harleton.

Before Kniffen’s arrival, the Lady Raiders reached the playoffs in 2015, but had only one postseason victory since 1990 — it came in 2010 in a game which they were no-hit, but still won. The Lady Raiders went 6-24 in the final season without Kniffen.

The Lady Raiders went 2-18 that first season in 2018. They improved in 2019 with an 11-17 mark. In 2020, the Lady Raiders were 7-8 when the season was stopped due to COVID-19.

In 2021, the Lady Raiders returned to the postseason, finishing with a then program-record 19 wins before falling to Sachse in the bi-district round.

In 2022, Tyler Legacy opened its on-campus softball field. The Lady Raiders won 23 games and swept Garland (10-0, 5-1) in bi-district to advance in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. It was the Red Raiders’ first season with at least 20 wins in program history.

In the area round of the 2022 playoffs, Legacy fell to Mansfield Lake Ridge, 6-3, in a one-game playoff. Legacy led 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning of that game before Lake Ridge rallied. Lake Ridge advanced all the way to the Class 6A championship game.

In 2023, Legacy won 22 games and made it back to the playoffs, falling to Wylie East in three games in a bi-district series (3-8, 2-0, 1-4).

This past season, the Red Raiders battled injuries and finished 13-15 overall and 5-7 in District 10-6A play, one spot out of the playoffs.

“In the early days, I didn’t know if we were going to be able to pull it off or not,” Kniffen said. “We were very diligent in identifying the things we needed to do. We created an East Texas summer league that is still going after six years. The new school bond passed and that was a huge part of it. One of my proudest moments coaching was seeing how competitive the program is now. You really have to play your tail off to beat us now. It was so rewarding.

“The foundation has been set. There is good talent at the junior high level coming up. I think back on my time very fondly. Our athletic director (Greg Priest) is fantastic. There’s not one thing he told me no on in seven years. He promised me when he hired me in 2017 that he would get me everything I needed, and he kept that promise. He was the best AD I worked for.

“And the players, several of them went through the lull years where they didn’t get to experience the success, but they were a huge part of it. And then someone like Brooke Davis, you see her go through the muck and then get to see success in her last two years of playing. That’s the rewarding part and what it’s all about. Getting to watch alumni succeed, not only in softball, but in school and life, that’s the best part of it. The relationships I’ve built over the years — both at Legacy and Harleton — are what matters. It was just time.”

Kniffen also got to coach his daughter, Mallory, who will continue her softball career at Tyler Junior College.

“There is nothing better than coaching your own daughter,” Kniffen said. “I would do it over and over again. There is nothing like it. And to see her get to be a part of the success too was great. Now, I can go watch her play at TJC, which was a large part of it. I have nothing but love for this school and program.”

Kniffen has a career record of 429-198-4 and finished 89-86-2 in seven seasons at Legacy.

For the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, Legacy will compete in District 10-6A with Forney, Longview, North Forney, Rockwall, Rockwall-Heath and Royse City.