Lady Devils head softball coach Taylor Barber talks with Bailee Williams while the opposition holds a conference in the pitching circle.

TiFTON — Taylor Barber said he is very appreciative of his time as a Tift County Blue Devils. After five years at the helm of the softball program and the same assisting baseball, Barber announced he is leaving TCHS.

Barber is not going far, only a few miles south on US 319 to become a baseball assistant at Colquitt County High under new Packers’ head coach Ryan Strickland.

Over his five years, the Lady Devils went 61-84, a mark that is deceiving. When Barber took over in 2019, Tift had won 19 games combined over three seasons, with a 2-22 mark in region games. He immediately won two region games his first season, ramped up the difficulty of the schedule and turned TCHS into a competitive program again.

Tift played in a Class 6A super regional final in 2022.

This year’s senior group was the first he had a chance to nurture all four years. Three have signed to play collegiately — Macy Hand, Bailee Williams and Loralee Bennett. He cherishes this group for what they have meant for leading the Lady Devils forward, especially “the relationships we’ve been able to build the last five years.”

Barber said it was tough to tell the players of his decision, but knows they are in good hands for the future as his staff has a wealth of experience. He said he had great relationships with his coaches, as well as Tift County administration, specifically citing athletic director Chris Martin and interim principal Dr. Jerry Baker.

On the baseball field, Barber has been part of a group that reached back-to-back elite eight appearances for the first time in 40 years. Tift won its first region championship this season in nearly a decade.

Family, as well as the opportunity to coach at his alma mater with Strickland, played a big role in Barber leaving, he said. He and wife, Elizabeth Ann, recently became parents to their second child.

“I know I’m making the right decision for my family,” he said.