New York, N.Y.— John Jay College of Criminal Justice Department of Athletics has announced that
Marlenne Nunez has been named head softball coach, while
Danielle Bonici has been named assistant coach.
Nunez will replace Laura Drazdowski who stepped down after serving as head coach the past three seasons.
Nunez and Bonici are by no means strangers to the Bloodhounds softball program. Both were four year players for John Jay (Nunez 2006-09 and Bonici 2007-10), while Nunez also served as assistant under Drazdowski last season.
“I'm very excited about coaching the team, it is going to be a new challenge and I am looking forward to it,” said Nunez. “Having played on the team for four years and coaching it for one, I know what it takes to bring the team to the next level. The program has improved so much through the years and I hope to continue the improvement of the program.”
Nunez and Bonici both played instrumental roles in the resurgence of the John Jay softball program. The team won just three games during Nunez's freshman year, and by last season, John Jay advanced past the first round of the conference playoffs for the first time since CUNYAC went to a double elimination format.
As a player, Nunez recorded 74 career hits, including 12 doubles, a triple and a homerun. She recorded 40 runs batted in and tallied 95 total bases. During her junior year she was named a CUNYAC second team All-Star after batting a career-high .290 with seven doubles and 14 runs batted in.
Bonici played in 116 games and had 137 hits, including 19 doubles, nine triples, six homeruns 101 RBI, 192 total bases and a .566 slugging percentage. She had a .404 career batting average, and was named a CUNYAC first-team All-Star three times (2007-09) and a second team All-Star in 2010.
“We are very happy to have Marlenne and Danielle aboard as coaches. Having both been four year players they know what needs to be done to help John Jay softball continue moving to the next level,” said Director of Athletics Dan Palumbo. “And I want to thank Laura for the tremendous job she did for three seasons, helping establish a stable program.”
The 2011 John Jay softball season is tentatively scheduled to begin on Fri. Mar. 4 at the Virginia Beach Blast Games in Virginia Beach, Va.
“It was a privledge to coach at John Jay,” said Drazdowski, who is John Jay's Assistant Director of Athletics for Budget & Finance, Co-Compliance Officer and SWA. “I am confident the team will continue on the path of excellence we have worked so hard to achieve over the past three years.”
