Haley Long enters her fifth year as the Rattlers' assistant softball coach on the heels of being named part of the NFCA's South Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2015. 

The Rattlers won the Super Regional championship in 2015, and knocked on the door of claiming the third national championship in the program's illustrious history. Along the way St. Mary's secured Heartland Conference, regional and super regional championships, before losing to eventual national-champion North Georgia. It marked the second straight season that St. Mary's season came to an end at the hands of the eventual champ. 

The Rattlers finished the season ranked No. 6 in the NFCA coaches' poll with a record of 48-12. Since Long has joined the Rattlers' staff, St. Mary's has gone 143-41 (.778 winning percentage) with three consecutive regional-tournament appearances and two straight super-regional berths.

Last season, the Rattlers nearly advanced to the World Series once again, falling just short after losing to West Texas A&M in the Super Regional. The Rattlers won the Heartland Conference regular-season championship and advanced out of the South Central tournament, which the Snakes hosted, to to get back to the Super Regional. Long's Rattlers saw slugger Sydney Wellmann take home Heartland Conference Player of the Year honors, while freshman ace Jorden Russell was named the league's Freshman of the Year. 

During her second year in 2014, Long saw the Rattlers advance to the South Central Regional Super Regionals for the first time since the 2005 season after the Rattlers claimed their second straight postseason and regular-season Heartland Conference crown. With Long’s help, she assisted head coach Donna Fields to seven Heartland Conference Player of the Week awards, five All-Conference selections and saw Emily Brittain named NFCA All-America Honorable Mention for the second season in a row.

Long came into her coaching role as a former athlete herself, having enjoyed an extensive softball career dating back to her star-studded career at Brenham High School in her hometown of Brenham, Texas, where she earned First-Team All-State, Academic All-State and helped her team to a state title. The former right fielder then took her play to the collegiate level, playing her freshman year at Blinn College before finishing her career at the University of Nebraska. After slugging away for a .355 batting average, 43 runs scored, five doubles, 33 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a team-high 10 triples in her sole season at Bilnn, Long became a three-year starter in right field for the University of Nebraska. There, her success led to a Second Team All-Big 12 selection as a sophomore. As a junior competing in the Big 12 championship, Long earned an All-Tournament Team selection. Her three years at the University of Nebraska also gave Long a three-time stint on the Big 12 Commissioners' Honor Roll.

Long completed her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Nebraska in 2009 and completed her master's degree in kinesiology at the University of Texas-Permian Basin in 2012.

While completing her master's degree, Long took her first step in coaching as one of Blinn College's assistant softball coaches and helped the Buccaneers to a fourth-place national championship finish in 2012. During her two years on the coaching staff, Blinn received the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year both years.

With a Division I, Big 12 athletic transcript and an accredited coaching background, Long has already become an asset to St. Mary's softball team.