Head Coach Dean Johnson
Univ. of New England ‘86
14th season

Dean Johnson has developed the Cougar softball team into one of the top programs in the region and in the nation. Through 13 seasons, Johnson has compiled a record of 369-177 to rank among the top active NCAA Division II softball coaches. He has been named the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year four times, and has guided the Cougars to four straight CACC regular-season crowns to go with CACC Tournament titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006. What is almost as remarkable as his accomplishments is how Johnson became the head softball coach at Caldwell College in 1995.

Just before the 1995 spring season, the softball coach at the time left in the middle of a practice and never returned. Mark Corino, Caldwell’s Executive Director of Athletics, asked Johnson if he would fill in as softball coach. Johnson agreed, finished the practice session that day and stayed on as coach through the season. Since that day in 1995, his teams have won at least 27 games in each of the past nine seasons while experiencing only one losing campaign during his tenure. Over the past four seasons, the Cougars have gone 156-52 overall and 73-11 in the CACC.

The Cougars reached the pinnacle of college softball in 2004, when they captured the Northeast Region Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II College World Series. The Cougars finished 45-7 and were ranked seventh in the final National Fastpitch Coaches Association national poll, the highest national ranking ever for any sport at Caldwell. The NFCA honored Johnson and assistant coach Barbara Hutchinson by naming Caldwell’s coaching staff the 2004 Northeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

In 2005, Johnson led the Cougars to a 40-11 overall record, including an 18-2 mark in the CACC. Caldwell repeated as CACC Tournament champions and advanced to the Northeast Region Tournament for the second straight year. In 2006, the Cougars made it three consecutive CACC Tournament titles and again qualified for the regional tourney, finishing with a 37-16 record. Last year Caldwell tied for the CACC regular-season crown en route to a 34-17 campaign. Nationally, the Cougars appeared in the NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll in 29 of 30 polls stretching from 2004 to 2007.

Although the 2004 team brought Johnson his first CACC title, the Cougars have been one of the top teams in the conference for several seasons and have reached the finals of the CACC Tournament seven of the last 10 times, including the past five seasons. Several of Johnson’s players have earned All-CACC and NFCA All-Region honors, including current Cougars Nicole Bodrog and Danielle Genovese. Four Cougars have been named All-Americans, including pitcher Corinne Reiser, who was named to the 2004 NFCA All-America second team.

Johnson’s athletes also perform well in the classroom, as many of Caldwell’s student-athletes have earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards. In 1996, the Cougars had the highest grade-point average among all NAIA programs. Last season’s squad ranked 13th among all NCAA Division II softball programs in GPA, with nine Cougars receiving NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors. Additionally, the Cougars received an award from the NCAA for having the highest GPA among the eight teams participating in the 2004 College Softball World Series.

In addition to his duties as softball coach, Johnson just completed his 18th year as an assistant coach for the Cougar men’s basketball team. He also has been Caldwell’s Associate Athletic Director in charge of NCAA compliance for the last nine years.

A native of Belgrade Lakes, Maine, Johnson set many basketball records as a point guard at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. He also played major modified fast-pitch softball, and in 1990 his team placed third nationally. Johnson graduated from the University of New England in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education. He earned a Master’s degree from Caldwell College in 1997.

Assistant Coach Jessica Saunders
Caldwell College '06
Second season

Jessica Saunders joined the Cougars' coaching staff in 2007 after a stellar career at Caldwell College. Saunders, who pitched for the Scarlet, White and Gold from 2003-06, won 51 games while striking out 533 batters in her four years at Caldwell. She was named to the all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and all-Northeast Region first teams as a junior and senior, and helped the Cougars' pitching staff record the nation's lowest earned-run average as a sophomore in 2004. At the 2005 CACC Tournament, Saunders pitched an amazing 16 2/3 innings in one day to lead Caldwell to a pair of victories that clinched the tournament title. She was named the tournament's MVP that year, and also made the all-Tournament squad as a senior in 2006.

A 2006 graduate of Caldwell College, Saunders majored in Computer Science. She earned CACC all-Academic honors twice and made the Academic All-District second team in 2005. Saunders currently resides in Kearny, N.J.

Assistant Coach Jackie Velardi
Caldwell College ‘07
First season

Jackie Velardi transitions into an assistant coaching role after starring for the Cougars on the field from 2004-07. An all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference second team selection in 2005, Velardi batted .299 and amassed 162 hits and 95 RBIs in 203 career games. As the starting first baseman, she played a significant role in Caldwell’s run to the 2004 College World Series, batting .336 with three home runs and 20 RBIs. Velardi turned in her best season as a senior in 2007, when she hit .340 with 27 runs and 25 RBIs while earning a spot on the CACC all-Tournament team. During her four seasons at Caldwell, the Cougars won four CACC regular-season titles, three CACC Tournament crowns and an NCAA Northeast Region championship, while compiling an overall record of 156-51.

Velardi graduated from Caldwell with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies. She currently resides in Belleville, N.J.