Cindy Ball-Malone is an American softball coach who is the current head coach at UCF.[1]

Cindy Ball-Malone
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamUCF
ConferenceBig 12
Record216–105–2 (.672)
Biographical details
Alma materPacific
Playing career
1999−2002Pacific
Position(s)Pitcher
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2002−2006Pacific (asst.)
2007Modesto Junior College
2008−2010Cosumnes River College
2011−2012Washington (asst.)
2013−2014Cal State Northridge (asst.)
2015−2018Boise State
2019–PresentUCF
Head coaching record
Overall315–221–2 (.587)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • MWC Regular Season Championship (2018)
  • AAC Regular Season Champions (2022)
  • 2× AAC Tournament Champions (2022, 2023)
Awards
As player
  • 2× Big West Pitcher of the Year (2001, 2002)
  • 2× Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Third Team All-American (2001, 2002)
  • Verizon Academic All-America First Team (2002)
  • All-Big West Second Team (1999)
  • 3× All-Big West First Team (2000, 2001, 2002)
  • 2× NFCA All-West Region First Team (2001, 2002)
  • NFCA All-West Region Second Team (2000)
As coach
  • MWC Coach of the Year (2018)
  • AAC Coaching Staff of the Year (2022)
  • Extra Innings Softball National Coach of the Year (2022)
  • NFCA Mideast Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2022)

Early life and education

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Ball-Malone graduated from the University of the Pacific in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sports sciences and earned her master's in education in 2006. She played softball, volleyball, and basketball in middle school and high school with famed Stanford and USA softball player, Jessica Mendoza.[2]

Coaching career

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Boise State

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On August 29, 2014, Ball-Malone was announced as the new head coach of the Boise State softball program.[3]

On June 27, 2018, Ball-Malone was announced as the new head coach of the UCF softball program.[4][5][6] The 2022 season, under Ball-Malone, UCF won a conference regular season and tournament title. Central Florida would also advance to their first ever NCAA Super Regional after downing Michigan in the Orlando Regional Final.[7][8] Following the successful 2022 season, Ball-Malone's contract was extended through 2027 on July 22 of 2022.[9][10] She has also been tasked with continuing the program's success in a new conference in 2024, after UCF agreed to a move to join the Big 12 Conference.[11]

Team USA

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On March 4, 2019, Ball-Malone was selected to serve as an assistant coach for the USA Junior National Team.[12][13]

Honors and personal life

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Ball-Malone was inducted into the Pacific Hall of Fame in 2014. She had had her jersey No. 9 retired by the school as well.[14]

On February 10, 2023, Ball-Malone was Pacific's honoree in the 2023 West Coast Conference Hall of Honor. She is labeled as the best two-way player in program history.[15][16]

Ball-Malone is married to Robert Malone III.[17]

Head coaching record

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Sources:[18][19]

College

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Boise State Broncos (Mountain West Conference) (2015–2018)
2015 Boise State 12–42 4–20 9th
2016 Boise State 14–38 6–18 9th
2017 Boise State 33–20 12–12 6th
2018 Boise State 40–16 18–6 1st
Boise State: 99–116 (.460) 40–56 (.417)
UCF Knights (American Athletic Conference) (2019–2023)
2019 UCF 34–21 11–10 5th
2020 UCF 21–5–1 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 UCF 41–19–1 16–7–1 3rd NCAA Regional
2022 UCF 49–14 16–2 1st NCAA Super Regional
2023 UCF 40–21 15–3 2nd NCAA Regional
UCF Knights (Big 12 Conference) (2024–Present)
2024 UCF 31–25 12–15 5th NCAA Regional
UCF: 216–105–2 (.672) 70–37–1 (.653)
Total: 315–221–2 (.587)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Coaching tree

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Coached under:

References

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  1. ^ "CINDY BALL-MALONE". UCFKnights.com. UCF Athletics. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  2. ^ Barton, Despina. "UCF's Cindy Ball-Malone cherishes friendship with Jessica Mendoza". MyNews13.com. Charter Communications. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Cindy Ball Named Softball Head Coach". BroncoSports.com. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  4. ^ Lopez, Eric. "New Ball Game as UCF Names Cindy Ball Head Coach". FastPitchNews.com. Advanced Sports Media. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  5. ^ "BOISE STATE LOSES SOFTBALL COACH CINDY BALL TO CENTRAL FLORIDA". IdahoPress.com. Idaho Press. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  6. ^ "BREAKING: UCF Names Cindy Ball New Softball Head Coach". BlackAndGoldBanneret.com. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  7. ^ Logan, Collier. "UCF Softball Advances to Super Regionals for First Time in School History". SI.com. Sports Illustrated Media Group. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. ^ Beede, Jason. "SUBSCRIBER ONLY UCF softball beats Michigan, advances to first NCAA Super Regional". OrlandoSentinel.com. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  9. ^ Beede, Jason. "UCF rewards softball coach with extension, salary bump after stellar season". OrlandoSentinel.com. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  10. ^ "UCF Wins By Keeping Cindy Ball-Malone Through 2027". BlackandGoldBanneret.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. ^ Covert, Justice. "UCF softball prepares to take on the Big 12". NicholsonStudentMedia.com. Flex BLOX CMS. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  12. ^ Lopez, Eric. "Cindy Ball-Malone Named to U.S. Junior National Team Coaching Staff". BlackandGoldBanneret.com. Vox Media. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  13. ^ "UCF's Cindy Ball-Malone Added to Junior Team USA Staff". TheAmerican.org. AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  14. ^ "CINDY BALL". PacificTigers.com. Pacific Tigers. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Former Pacific softball star and coach honored by WCC". Pacific.edu. University of the Pacific. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  16. ^ Faraudo, Jeff. "WCC Hall Of Honor: Cindy Ball-Malone". WCCSports.com. West Coast Conference. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  17. ^ "ROBERT MALONE III". UCFKnights.com. UCF Athletics. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  18. ^ "MWC Softball Record Book" (PDF). TheMW.com. Mountain West Conference. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  19. ^ "AAC Softball 2024 Record Book" (PDF). TheAmerican.org. AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
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