GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence softball program announced on Friday that Karsten Williams will join the staff as the assistant softball coach.

Williams joins the program after serving as a graduate assistant for the team the past two seasons. She also spent two seasons playing for the Argos under head coach Joey Egan prior to becoming a coach.

"I'm very excited for Karsten to join the coaching staff," Egan said. "This will be her fifth year with the team. It's nice to have her in a more official capacity where she can spend her full-time helping advance our program."

Williams joined the Argos prior to the 2018 season after transferring from Colorado Northwestern Community College. She graduated from the University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and pursued her master's degree in organizational leadership during her time as a graduate assistant.

"I'm excited to give back to the program that gave me a ball back and let me finish my education out," Williams said. "I'm excited to work under one of the best mentors I've had. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with professors and admin and staff who gave me so much as well. I'm excited to give back to this Argo community."

Williams, who is originally from Sandy, Utah, will focus mainly on the defense for the program, as well as handle a lot of the day-to-day operations. She will dip her hand in recruiting, create practice plans, schedule trips and work individually with the team as they prepare for the season.

"She brings energy," Egan said. "She's willing to put in all the time in the world to help these athletes get better. She just loves the sport and gets the girls hyped all the time. She gets them focused to play ball which is something we've been lacking in the past. She was here just a few years ago and went through the program, had the same professors. She knows what everyone on our team in general is doing. It's a really big deal."

Williams thinks her ability to relate with the team will be her biggest attribute to the coaching staff.

"I'm excited to recruit, help kids earn an education and talk through the hard life stuff with them," Williams said. "Being able to be a mentor for these girls is my biggest goal. I just went through a lot of their experiences. It's nice to be able to give back."

The Argo softball team will kick off their season on Friday, Feb. 25 with a double-header against Bushnell in Great Falls.