CLARKSVILLE—Austin Peay State University athletics mourns the passing of former head softball coach and statistician Chris Austin, who passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 65.

Austin was Austin Peay's head softball coach from 1992-98, amassing a 134-204 record. His 134 career wins remains second all-time in Austin Peay history, eclipsed by current head coach Kassie Stanfill in 2024. 

James Christopher Austin, known as Sarge to many in the Clarksville community, was born February 25, 1961. The son of the late James and Helen Austin, he graduated from Clarksville High School and earned his degree at Austin Peay, where he joined Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity. After his coaching career ended, Austin served the Austin Peay athletics department in a variety of capacities, including nearly three decades as head statistician and more than 20 years in the sports information/athletics communications office. 

During Austin's tenure as softball coach, Austin Peay secured its first Ohio Valley Conference tournament victories, including a semifinal finish in the 1995 tournament that was the program's best until 2018. Under his tutelage, Angela Thompson set program records in strikeouts, appearances, shutouts and wins – the latter two of which she still holds. 1995 OVC Player of the Year Andrea Miller set records for hits, batting average, RBI, runs, on-base percentage and triples, with her 21 triples still serving as the program record. We list the accomplishments of his players not because they were the summation of the man's career and life, but because of the level of pride he took in their successes. 

Austin's rosters featured 16 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholars and three of the five Academic All-American honors the program has ever produced. As a leader and mentor for decades of young people at Austin Peay – be they students or student-athletes – he has few peers. 

A fixture in the Clarksville community, Austin umpired youth softball and baseball games and worked for decades in area media, including as a columnist for the Leaf-Chronicle and as a local radio host. 

Services are in the care of Nave Funeral Homes in Clarksville; arrangements are pending.