ITTA BENA – Brittany Tillery has returned to the Mississippi delta.

The Starkville native, who spent four years as a standout softball student-athlete at Delta State, has been named assistant softball coach at Mississippi Valley State University.

Tillery, who became the first African-American to join the Delta State fast-pitch softball program in 2006, takes over for Brooke Reed, who recently accepted the position of director of softball operations at Texas Tech.

Tillery most recently served as ABA Specialist and head softball coach at Germantown High School in Madison.

While at DSU from 2005-09, Tillery was bestowed with a host of awards: All-Gulf South Conference, Daktronics All-Region and Charles S. Kerg Award winner.

"We're glad to have Brittany on board," said MVSU head softball coach Lee Smith. "She has a proven track record of success and I know that she will succeed here at the Valley."