Head Coach Dean Johnson
Univ. of New England ‘86
15th season

Dean Johnson has developed the Cougar softball team into one of the top programs in the region and in the nation. Through 14 seasons, Johnson has compiled a record of 403-200 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 CACC Tournament titles in the past five years, including last year’s championship. 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 10 seasons while experiencing only one losing campaign during his tenure. Over the past five seasons, the Cougars have gone 191-73 overall and 92-16 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. Johnson’s squad finished 45-7 and was 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. After losing in the finals in 2007, Caldwell returned to the top of the league last season by winning the CACC Tournament for the fourth time in five years. 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 eight of the last 11 times, including the past six seasons. Several of Johnson’s players have earned All-CACC and NFCA All-Region honors, including current Cougars Gina Capardi and Danielle Genovese. Capardi became the fifth Caldwell softball All-American when she was named to the NFCA and Daktronics All-America first team in 2008.

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. The 2007 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 19th 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. For his contributions to the College and its athletic department, Johnson received the prestigious Caldwell Cup from president Sister Patrice Werner in May of 2008.

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 Jackie Velardi
Caldwell College ‘07
Second season

Jackie Velardi begins her second season as an assistant coach for the Cougars following a stellar career on the field from 2004-07. An all-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference first 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 in 2007. She currently resides in Belleville, N.J.

Assistant Coach Kylee Wilson
Adelphi University '02
First season

Kylee Wilson joins the Cougars’ softball coaching staff after just completing her second season as an assistant coach for Caldwell’s women’s basketball team. Wilson played three sports at Adelphi University from 1998-2002: basketball, softball and cross country. A four-year starter in softball, Wilson was named an NFCA Scholar-Athlete three times while helping the Panthers reach the NCAA Regional three times. She also was captain of the Panthers’ basketball team during her senior season, earning NYCAC All-Academic Team honors while leading Adelphi to the Sweet 16 of the 2002 NCAA Division II Tournament. Additionally, Wilson was a member of the Panthers’ cross country team that captured the 2001 NYCAC title.
 

Along with her stint with the Caldwell women’s basketball team, Wilson served as an assistant basketball coach at Drew University in 2007.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from Adelphi in 2002, Wilson completed her Master’s degree in Studio Art at Adelphi in 2004. She also works as a personal trainer. A native of Omaha, Neb., Wilson resides in Hackettstown, N.J.