New York University has announced the addition of two new softball assistant coaches to join Head Coach Now-Allah James.

Nicole Bellini and Samantha Rodriguez bring a combined 13 years of coaching experience.

"I'm excited to add these young, eager, energetic coaches to our staff and University," said James. "These two are familiar with our program and will help us continue to build on our recent success." 

Bellini comes to NYU after working as the Head Softball Coach at her alma mater Baruch College since 2020. Under her guidance, Baruch finished third in the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) last and Bellini was selected CUNYAC Coach of the Year.

Bellini graduated from Baruch in 2018 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems and a minor in Psychology. She played for the Bearcats for three seasons, was a three-time CUNYAC All-Star, three-time MVP, and all-time leader in batting average (.406).

A year before going to Baruch, Bellini attended NCAA Division I Fairleigh Dickinson University, was a member of their softball team and made the Northeast Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll.

A native and resident of Staten Island, NY, Bellini also currently works at FDM IT Consulting Firm, where she has served as a junior product owner, business analyst and scrum master since September 2018.

Samantha Rodriguez joins the Violets with multiple years of coaching experience. She served as an assistant coach at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY, for the 2022 season and is also currently the Head of Operations & Softball Development at 33Rodz Baseball, an elite travel baseball organization founded by former MLB player Frank Rodriguez.

From 2017-2021, Rodriguez worked as the Auxiliary Program Coordinator and Assistant Athletic Director at BASIS Independent Brooklyn for four years, where she ran seasonal clubs and sports for pre-K-12 students and managed all aspects of the athletic department. Also serving as Softball Honor Roll Camp Operations Coordinator at Headfirst Companies, Rodriguez helped run one of the most elite softball showcases in the United States.

A graduate of Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy in 2016 and a Master's in Sports Management in 2017, Rodriguez was a four-time CUNYAC First Team All-Star, an Eastern College Athletic Conference (EACA) Second Team All-Star and two-time Brooklyn College Softball Player of the Year. She holds Brooklyn's all-time hits record and ranks fifth all-time in the CUNYAC.

A native and resident of Brooklyn, Rodriguez played professional softball in Puerto Rico in 2016.