BOSTON, Mass. – As announced by Director of Athletics & Recreation Erica Schuling, Simmons University Athletics is proud to announce Maddie Castigliego as the next Head Softball Coach after serving in the interim role since January. Under Castigliego's leadership this past season, the Sharks earned the No. 1 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) North Division and finished as conference runners-up following one of the program's most impressive mid-season turnarounds in recent history.
"We're very excited to officially name Maddie as head softball coach," said Schuling. "She did an exceptional job stepping into the role just weeks before preseason to provide stability and direction for our student-athletes. Maddie quickly garnered the respect of the team while guiding the program through a successful season. As a former Simmons student-athlete and standout pitcher, she understands this program at a deep level, and we're confident in the future of Simmons Softball under her leadership."
After opening the season 4-16, Castigliego helped guide the Sharks to a 24-20 overall record behind an 11-game winning streak and a trip to the GNAC Championship series. Offensively, Simmons recorded its highest team batting average, slugging percentage, and on base percentage since 2023 while reaching the 20-win mark for the 12th time in program history. The Sharks also defeated Emmanuel four times in a single season for the first time ever, while the Sharks' 24 victories marked the most by a first-year head coach in program history since 2008.
Under Castigliego's leadership, Simmons also saw continued individual success throughout the 2026 season. Piper Kinney earned GNAC Pitcher of the Year honors for the third time in her career before becoming the program's first NFCA First Team All-Region selection since Castigliego earned the accolade herself in 2023. The Sharks additionally placed four student-athletes on the All-GNAC teams following the season. Etching their names in the record books, Kinney became the all-time strikeout leader, Emily Deleault reached 100 career hits, while Teagan Buckley notched 150 career hits to sit sixth all time.
"As an alum, it's an honor to come back and lead a program that means so much to me," said Castigliego. "I'm grateful to Erica Schuling for this incredible opportunity, and I'm excited to continue building on the strong foundation of Simmons Softball. Go Sharks!"
Prior to accepting the interim head coaching role at Simmons in January, Castigliego served as an assistant softball coach at nearby Wheaton College, where she joined the coaching staff in Fall 2023 before transitioning 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. Castigliego helped mentor the 2025 NEWMAC Player of the Year alongside eight combined All-Conference selections across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
The Lyons also excelled academically during her time on staff, posting the second-highest team GPA in NCAA Division III during Spring 2024 (3.77) and the seventh-highest GPA nationally in Spring 2025 (3.77). Castigliego assisted with all facets of the program, including recruiting, scouting, player development, practice planning, and game-day preparation. She worked with all positional groups while coaching first base and calling pitches and defensive coverages.
One of the most accomplished student-athletes in Simmons Softball history, Castigliego starred in the circle for the Sharks from 2019-23. The right-hander graduated as the program's all-time wins leader with 64 career victories while posting a 2.59 earned run average across nearly 600 innings pitched. A two-time GNAC Pitcher of the Year (2022, 2023), Castigliego played a pivotal role in leading the Sharks to a GNAC Championship, earning GNAC Tournament MVP honors during the program's title run while also helping Simmons secure a pair of victories in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Castigliego also earned GNAC Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 in addition to multiple All-Conference and All-Region selections throughout her career. The fifth-year captain was later recognized as Simmons Senior Athlete of the Year and recipient of the Athletic Director Leadership Award. Castigliego graduated from Simmons University in 2023 with a degree in Exercise Science.
In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Castigliego has coached with Polar Crush Softball since 2020, helping student-athletes continue their careers across all three NCAA divisions. She served as Head Coach of the organization's 16U National Team from 2023-25 after previously assisting with the 14U and 16U national teams.
Castigliego's official start date is June 1.
