OC announced that Head Baseball Coach Kurtis Lay would be stepping down after completing his 10^th year at the helm of the Odessa College Baseball Program.

Coach Lay said, "I have been blessed to have the opportunity to come back and coach at my alma mater. I would like to thank Mr. Baker, the administration team, and most of all, the players and families that have supported me throughout the years. Odessa College is a special place with special people, and I am happy to be a lifelong Wrangler. I think it is time to see what life holds outside of the game of baseball. I cannot thank Odessa College and the Odessa community enough for all their support throughout the last 10 years."

Odessa College Athletic Director Wayne Baker praised Coach Lay's accomplishments during his time at OC as head coach. "Through a decade of dedication, Coach Lay, an alumnus who truly understood the spirit of our Odessa College, accumulated over 300 victories and nurtured the dreams of countless student athletes. His tenure saw the transformation of Wrangler Field and the navigation of our program through the challenges of a global pandemic. His guidance led us to seven postseason appearances and multiple national rankings, while eight of his players reached the professional leagues—a testament to his profound influence on and off the field. As he steps away from baseball, I wish Coach Lay and his family the very best."

Under his guidance, the Wranglers baseball teams were nationally ranked numerous times both by the NJCAA and Perfect Game. Prior to COVID, the 2020 Wranglers finished 21-2, were ranked #6 in the country according to the NJCAA and #11 in the country according to Perfect Game. During the 2015 season, he led OC to its first regional tournament appearance since the year 2010. The 2017 Wranglers finished the year with a 46-13 record, were ranked as high as #2 in the NJCAA national polls and won the conference championship. It was the first WJCAC baseball conference championship at OC since 2000.

During his 10 years at the head of the OC Baseball Program, Coach Lay saw more than 80 student-athletes continue their academic and athletic careers at the NJCAA Division I, DII, DIII and NAIA Levels. The most notable of these was the 2022 Golden Spikes Award Winner Ivan Melendez, who began his collegiate career at OC in the fall of 2018.

Prior to returning to Odessa College, Coach Lay spent three years at Frank Phillips College as the head baseball coach and led the Plainsmen to two of the most successful seasons in the program's history.

Coach Lay completes his successful 13-year head coaching career with a winning record of 407– 294.

A national serch for the next Head Coach will begin immediately.