Bronx, N.Y. – Fordham softball head coach
Melissa Inouye has announced the addition of
Nikki Cuccio to the program as an assistant coach for the upcoming campaign.
"We are very excited to welcome Coach Nikki to Fordham and to our softball program." Coach Inouye said, "She is a detail-oriented, creative, passionate, and energetic coach with a relentless work ethic. Coach Nikki loves teaching the game and our student-athletes will enjoy being around her and learning from her on and off the field. She has been mentored by some of the best coaches in the northeast and we're looking forward to her sharing her knowledge with our championship program."
Cuccio (R) was UConn's First Base Coach
Cuccio most recently served as a volunteer assistant coach at UConn last year, undertaking a multitude of roles for the Huskies, including first base coach, as they won the Big East regular season championship. The coaching staff was also named the league's best.
Prior to that, Cuccio spent two years at Wesleyan as an assistant coach, serving on the department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, and assisting in overseeing the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Last summer, she was an assistant and ultimately interim head coach of the Manatee Squeeze of the Florida Gulf Coast League.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of nearby Adelphi, Cuccio helped the Panthers to four consecutive NCAA appearances and two NE10 conference championships. Her freshman year, in which she was named All-Rookie, the Panthers were East Regional champions and participated in the Division II College World Series. She ultimately ended up as a two-time Second Team All-Conference and one-time First Team selection with two All-Region First Team accolades and an All-ECAC Honorable Mention, finishing her career as the program's all-time runs scored leader.
Cuccio arrives in the Bronx to replace outgoing assistant coach
Matt Klampert, who took the same position at Penn after being with the program for the past four years, winning two Atlantic 10 championships and taking part in two NCAA Regionals during his time at Fordham.
