BOSTON, Mass. – Simmons University Athletics has announced the appointment of Maddie Castigliego as the Interim Head Coach of the Sharks Softball program starting January 2026.

Castigliego returns to Simmons after serving as an assistant softball coach at nearby Wheaton College, where she joined the coaching staff in Fall 2023 and transitioned into a full-time role in January 2024. During her tenure, Wheaton earned a second-place finish in the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), the program's highest conference seed since 2015.

With the Lyons, Castigliego helped guide the development of the 2025 NEWMAC Player of the Year, along with five All-Conference honorees in 2025 and three in 2024. The program also achieved notable academic success, earning the second-highest team grade point average in NCAA Division III in Spring 2024 (3.77) and the seventh-highest GPA nationally in Spring 2025 (3.77). Castigliego assisted with all facets of the program, including practice planning, player development, recruiting, scouting, and game-day preparation. She worked with all positional groups, coached first base, called pitches and defensive coverages, and mentored student-athletes to support both their academic and athletic success.

A Simmons alumna, Castigliego completed one of the most accomplished playing careers in program history from 2019-2023 where she helped lead the Sharks to their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship and NCAA Regional appearance in 2023. The right-hander was a two-time GNAC Pitcher of the Year (2022, 2023), Rookie of the Year (2019), GNAC Tournament MVP (2023), and earned multiple All-Conference and All-Region accolades. The two-time captain was recognized as the Simmons Senior Athlete of the Year and recipient of the Athletic Director Leadership Award. 

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Castigliego has served as a coach with Polar Crush Softball since 2020, helping student-athletes earn collegiate opportunities across all three NCAA divisions. She served as Head Coach of the 16U National Team from 2023-2025 and previously assisted with the 16U and 14U national teams.

Castigliego graduated from Simmons University in 2023 with a degree in Exercise Science.