Joey Ballard and Jacob Hewitt, former Missouri Southern Standout Two-Athlete, have been hired as assistant soccer coaches at Joplin High School.
Eagle’s head coach Curtis Jasper announced the hires on Twitter and Facebook Wednesday after being approved by the Joplin R-8 school board on Tuesday night.
Ballard received all MIAA awards in football and baseball for Missouri Southern from 1998 to 2002 and is the only player in conference history to be named Newbie of the Year in both sports.
He has spent the past two years as a teacher and trainer at Jasper, including as head coach last fall. At Joplin he becomes a special education teacher and recipient coach.
Ballard and his wife Jenny have three children, Jayla (16), JoJo (13) and Jackson (6).
Hewitt will be the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, having held the same position at Staley High School in Kansas City for the past four seasons. Staley won the Class 5 state championship in 2017, Hewitt’s first year as a coordinator. Staley averaged 31 points per game and 10 wins per season over the past four years.
Hewitt, a 2013 Lindenwood graduate, has been with Staley for the past nine years.
Hewitt will be the Eagles’ quarterbacks trainer, teaching special education, in addition to his coordination duties.
He and his wife Paige have a son Hudson (19 months) and another son, who is expected in May.
According to Matt Hiatt, JHS track and field director, there is still an assistant coach to fill.
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