Former All-American, three-time NE10 Pitcher of the Year and 2015 NE10 Player of the Year at SNHU takes over after two years as assistant at Wellesley

EASTON, Mass. (September 7, 2021) – Stonehill College has named former NCAA Division II All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American Ali Maloof as the next head coach of its softball program. The announcement was made today by Stonehill Director of Athletics Dean O'Keefe, '94.

"It is a pleasure to welcome Ali Maloof as the next head coach of our Stonehill softball program," said O'Keefe. "Ali brings with her a resume of success both during her playing and coaching days at fellow NE10 member Southern New Hampshire. Her NCAA Division II competitive background along with her commitment to the overall student-athlete experience is exactly what we were looking for in our next hire. I am confident that Ali's passion, energy and knowledge of the game will be an asset to our program and the development of our student-athletes on the field, in the classroom, and on our community."

Maloof comes to Stonehill after six years as an assistant coach at fellow NE10 member SNHU, her alma mater, and Wellesley College. (PHOTO COURTESY Southern N.H.)

Maloof takes the reigns of the Stonehill program following the passing for former head coach Ken LeGrice in the spring, following a long and courageous battle with cancer. She has joined the athletic department in her new role immediately.

"I am absolutely overjoyed and honored to be taking over the Stonehill softball program," said Maloof. "I have dreamed of being a head coach since my playing career came to an end. It was during my playing career when I first crossed paths with the beloved coach Ken LeGrice.  Ken was a wonderful coach and even better person. It was an honor to be able to compete against his teams as a player and coach during my time at Southern New Hampshire. While I will be looking to put my own individual stamp on this program, I will continue to keep Ken's memory alive and well within it. I cannot thank everyone at Stonehill enough for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I look forward to getting on the field and growing this program. Go Skyhawks!"

Maloof, who enjoyed a remarkable playing career at Northeast-10 Conference rival Southern New Hampshire University, joins Stonehill after two seasons as an assistant coach at Wellesley College with head coach Keri O'Meara. She assisted Coach O'Meara in all facets of recruiting, practice planning and budgeting, while also working with the student-athletes on focusing on the balance of being a student-athlete. In addition to her softball duties at Wellesley, Maloof served as event manager working with the athletic administration on preparing to host home athletic contests.

Maloof enjoyed a decorated career at NE10 rival SNHU as a three-time NE10 Pitcher of the Year, NE10 Player of the Year, All-American and CoSIDA Academic All-American (PHOTO COURTESY Southern N.H. Athletics)

Maloof served four seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater prior to joining the Wellesley coaching staff. She helped SNHU to a record of 132-64 (.674) overall over those four seasons, including 67-34 (.663) in the NE10, with three NCAA Tournament appearances and reaching the NCAA Division II Super Regionals in 2016. She assisted head coach Deb Robitaille with recruiting and organizing practice sessions, budget and travel.

Maloof, who received her undergraduate degree in 2015 and Master's Degree in psychology in 2017 from SNHU, was a two-time All-America pitcher for the Penmen over her record breaking four-year career. The CoSIDA Academic All-American was a three-time NE10 Pitcher of the Year, who earned NE10 Player of the Year accolades as a senior. She earned All-NE10 honors all four years, with first team honors three times, and was named the Daktronics East Region Pitcher of the Year in 2014 and 2015, while being selected as its Region Player of the Year as a senior.

In helping SNHU to a pair of NE10 Championships over her four year career as a student-athlete, Maloof set a Penmen record with 808 career strikeouts in a record 711.1 innings, while also scoring a program record 135 runs and finishing second all-time with 234 hits and a .374 batting average. She tossed two perfect games over her collegiate career and competed in two additional NCAA Tournaments as a student-athlete.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.