Valentino enters her seventh season as the head coach of the UConn softball program in 2025-26.

Valentino led the Huskies to one of the most successful seasons in program history in 2025, winning the BIG EAST Tournament Championship for the first time since 2001, bringing the Huskies back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 years. Finishing with a 35-19 record on the year, the Huskies have now put together four straight 30 win seasons under Valentino. She coached a conference best, five players to All-BIG EAST First Team honors, and two players to the second team, totaling seven selections. The Huskies claimed back-to-back BIG EAST Players of the Year awards winners in Grace Jenkins (2025) and Lexi Hastings (2024). Cat Petteys earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Year honors, the third player to garner the award under Valentino. UConn also placed four student-athletes to NFCA All-Region teams, the second most in a season in program history. Valentino and her staff guided the Huskies to a record breaking season, surpassing six single season team program records and six individual single season records. As a team, UConn set new program high marks in batting average (.321), run scored (387), home runs (77), doubles (89), RBI (363), walks (195), and total bases (829). Three Huskies each surpassed the previous single season home runs (13) and RBI (47) records, while two Huskies surpassed the previous runs (63) and walks (29) records that were set prior to the 2025 season.

In Valentino's fifth season leading the program, the Huskies surpassed 30 wins for the third season in a row, a feat that has not been accomplished since 1995-97. Valentino coached five Huskies to all-conference honors including Lexi Hastings who garnered BIG EAST Player of the Year honors, becoming just the fifth player in program history to received the prestigious award. The Huskies had two first team all-conference players in Lexi Hastings and Rosie Garcia and three second teamers in Payton Kinney, Grace Jenkins, and Hope Jenkins. Under Valentino's guidance, the pitching staff set a new program record for strikeouts in a single season with 398, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.

In the 2023 season, Valentino led the Huskies to another 30 win season and back to back BIG EAST regular season titles for the first time since the 1996 & 1997 seasons. They would finish the season with a 34-15 overall record, going 19-5 in conference play. The Huskies broke two single season program records in the 2023 campaign; walks (190), and fielding percentage (.975). Under the guidance of Valentino, Grace Jenkins earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Honors, becoming the second player to earn the award in Valentino's tenure. Valentino also coached four Huskies to all-BIG EAST honors, including Payton Kinney (first team), Lexi Hastings (first team), Aziah James (second team), & Grace Jenkins (second team).

In 2022, Valentino lead the team to a 38 win season and the programs first BIG EAST regular season championship since 1997. They finished with a 38-18 overall record and went 15-5 in BIG EAST play having won all their conference series. The Huskies made their second straight appearance in the BIG EAST Championship game. Under Valentino, UConn as a team broke five single season records during the 2022 campaign; runs scored (287), runs batted in (253), stolen bases (131), strikeouts (396), and walks (178). Valentino coached five Huskies to all-conference honors this season, including Briana Marcelino (first team), Sami Barnett (first team), Elise Sokolsky (first team), Lexi Hastings (second team), and Reese Guevarra (second team).

Valentino and her staff were named as coaching staff of the year in the BIG EAST in 2022.

During the 2021 campaign, Valentino led the Huskies to a 22-20 overall mark, a 12-9 record in BIG EAST play and an appearance in the BIG EAST Softball Championship Game - UConn’s first since 2001. Under her guidance, Jana Sanden garnered BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Honors, becoming just the fourth Husky overall and first since 1996 to achieve the feat. She coached Sanden and Reese Guevarra to First Team, and Devon Casazza to Second Team All-BIG EAST team honors. Additionally, Briana Marcelino, Payton Kinney, and Casazza were named to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.

Valentino also coached Marcelino, Kinney, and Sanden to BIG EAST Player of the Week Awards.

In her first season at the helm, Valentino led the Huskies to a 16-5 start - the program’s best through 21 games since the 1993 season, before the cancellation of spring sports due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Those 16 wins included three wins over Power-5 opponents, six shutouts and five run-rule victories.

Additionally, she helped coach Marybeth Olson, Aziah James and Olivia Sappington to American Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors.

Valentino was announced as the head coach on July 3, 2019 by director of athletics David Benedict.

“I am so honored and excited to be the next head softball coach at UConn,” Valentino said. I want to thank David, Adrianne Swinney, Jamelle Elliott and their staff for this amazing opportunity and I am looking forward to working with them in building a championship culture at UConn. The future is bright for UConn softball and I can’t wait to get to work in achieving greatness on and off the field.”

Most recently, Valentino was an assistant coach at Duke, which initiated its program prior to the 2018 season. Her primary responsibilities while on the Blue Devils’ coaching staff was infield play, catching, and offensive strategy. Duke posted a 54-58 record in its first two years of existence and the team finished tied for third in the ACC Coastal Division in 2019.

In its inaugural season, Duke’s 13 conference wins were headlined by four series victories, including a sweep of Boston College. Last season, Duke finished with the highest fielding percentage in the ACC and was ranked No. 22 nationally in the category. The Blue Devils also completed the season second in doubles, tied for fourth in triples and fifth in hits.

“We met with several impressive candidates during this interview process but Laura set herself apart with her energy, passion and preparation,” Benedict said. “During her time as an assistant coach, Laura has enjoyed a great deal of success and the experience she gained during the implementation of the Duke softball program should prove invaluable as she endeavors to build a championship culture here at UConn. This is an exciting time for UConn and I know our softball team is in good hands.”

Valentino mentored a pair of ACC All-Freshman team picks and an All-ACC First Team selection. Additionally, Valentino has helped develop several NFCA Scholar-Athletes, a trio of ACC All-Academic selections, and 12 student-athletes on the ACC Honor Roll.

Before her time in Durham, N.C., she spent three seasons at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While with the 49ers, her primary responsibilities were student-athlete development on both sides of the mound, overall strategy, and catching.

Charlotte tallied a 30-win campaign in 2016, a feat not seen since 2010, and matched that the following season. Valentino’s stint in Charlotte produced a pair of All-Conference student-athletes, an All-Freshman selection, two All-Region honorees, a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and the 2017 Conference USA Championship.

Valentino also spent three seasons at Fairfield where she assisted with the offense, defense, pitching and catching, in addition to recruiting and administrative duties.

During her tenure, the Stags won a pair of regular season championships and advanced to the conference tournament final on two occasions. In 2014, she coached four First Team All-MAAC selections, including the MAAC Pitcher and Player of the Year.

A 2011 graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in physical education (K-12), Valentino was a four-year letterwinner at the designated player, infield, and catching positions. She was a part of the two winningest seasons in program history—45 wins in both 2008 and 2010. She started 84 games and capped her collegiate career with a spot on the NFCA Scholar-Athlete team with a career record of 156-59.

A native of Smithtown, N.Y. and 2014 Smithtown High School Hall of Fame inductee, Valentino earned her master’s degree in special education from Fairfield in 2013.

Name	Title	Email Address
Laura Valentino	Head Coach	laura.valentino@uconn.edu
Christie Novatin	Associate Head Coach	christie.novatin@uconn.edu
Kyle Brady	Assistant Coach	coachkyle@uconn.edu
Nikki Amodeo	Volunteer Assistant Coach	nicoletta.cuccio@uconn.edu
Manny Hatzikostas	Director of Softball Operations/Assistant Director of Communications	emanuel.hatzikostas@uconn.edu

University of Connecticut Athletics

2022 Softball Coaching Staff

Coaching Staff