Alma Mater: Pace University '00
Seasons as Head Coach: 10
NYU Career Record: 145-163 (.471)
Postseason Appearances: 3 (ECAC 2016-18)
ECAC Championships: 1 (2016)
Now-Allah James has been the only Head Coach of the New York University women’s softball team since its debut as a varsity program in 2014-15, and his teams have posted a 145-163 overall record.
The Violets posted an 8-28 record in 2024, ending the campaign with a doubleheader sweep over Hunter College on May 2.
James helped produce a pair of University Athletic Association (UAA) honorees during the campaign, as both Madi Hand and Lindsey Baron earned Second Team accolades. A total of 12 student-athletes earned UAA All-Academic honors. Lily Candelaria and Jessie Werthman received Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar awards, while Hand, Werthman, Emily Stone, and Lizzie Smith were cited as Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
James led the Violets to a 19-19 record in 2023 with six wins against UAA opponents. 10 of James’ athletes received UAA All-Academic honors and Samantha Burggraf (infield) and Margaux Lesser (infield) were named to the All-UAA Second Team.
The Violets won six of their last seven games in 2022 and finished with a 17-20 record. NYU’s seven UAA victories (7-9) were the second-highest total in program history and included two victories over NCAA Tournament Qualifier, Washington University in St. Louis.
Individually, Erin Scott was chosen Third Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region IV and selected Second Team All-UAA along with Hannah Lee. A total of 15 student-athletes were chosen as an Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, 11 earned UAA All-Academic honors, while Lee and Candelaria were recipients of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award.
The 2021 season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, seven team members received UAA All-Academic honors.
The 2020 season was cut short due to Covid-19 after the Violets had compiled a 3-5 record, including a 4-0 shutout of Rutgers-Newark University on March 10 in the final game of the season. Despite the abbreviated campaign, several of James’ players received accolades. Morgan Clemens (outfield) and Caroline Saccacio (catcher), as well as Rachel Colbus (infield), Kalena Paredes (infield) and Maggie Swan (pitcher) earned All-UAA honors.
Off the field, a total of 11 players were selected UAA All-Academic.
In 2019, James led the Violets to a 20-13 mark and a best-ever 8-9 finish in UAA play, which included two victories over eventual NCAA Division III Championship runner-up, Emory University. Many players were recognized for their outstanding contributions, as the NFCA bestowed Second Team All-Northeast honors to Diana King, as well as Third Team accolades to Ashley Mains and Serena Ponciano. Mains, Ponciano and Swan also received Second Team All-UAA honors, with Swan also being named Honorable Mention All-ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference).
The accolades in 2019 were not confined to the playing field as 13 team members earned UAA All-Academic honors.
In 2018, the Violets posted a 21-20 record and made a postseason appearance in the ECAC Division III Championship, advancing to the semifinals for the second year in a row. Under James’ guidance, King earned First Team All-UAA honors while four other members of the squad earned Second Team accolades. King was also named CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District 3 and NFCA First Team All-Northeast Region. On the mound, Karissa Zubulake ended the campaign with a program-record 1.83 ERA.
The Violets also had a winning season in the classroom, as 13 players earned UAA All-Academic honors.
In 2017, James led the Violets to a 19-19 overall record, including five UAA victories en route to a bid to the ECAC Division III Championship. King and Claire Stefanelli were named First Team All-UAA while Sage Schweiller received Second Team honors. Stefanelli led the squad in batting average (.370), while King led the team in hits (44), runs (43), home runs (8), and total bases (79).
In 2016, James steered the Violets to the ECAC Division III Metro Championship title. The young team, which consisted of 13 freshmen and only one senior, compiled a program-record 26 victories (26-15) and finished the season on a nine-game winning streak. The squad also won its first-ever UAA games in program history, defeating both Case Western Reserve University and the University of Rochester twice. NYU completed the season with a victory over Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham in the ECAC Championship Game. The Violets entered the fifth inning down 5-2 before rallying with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to win the game 7-5 and secure the first title in program history.
James’ squad also received All-Academic honors from the NFCA in 2016, recording the highest GPA (3.508) in the UAA and the 11
th-highest in all of NCAA Division III. Eleven players were named as an Easton/NFCA Division III Scholar-Athlete, while five earned UAA All-Academic honors. Under James’ guidance, King led the team with 59 hits, eight home runs and 10 stolen bases, while finishing second with a .428 batting average, 31 RBIs and a .688 slugging percentage. She also led the team with nine wins, seven complete games and 60 strikeouts while earning NFCA Second Team All-Northeast Region and First Team All-UAA.
In the team’s inaugural varsity season in 2015, James led the Violets to a 12-24 record. The first win in program history came on March 22 at home against Brooklyn College. The youthful roster competed well all season long, showing signs of a bright future by finishing the season with four wins in the final five games.
James joined NYU after serving as the head coach at Lehman College in 2013-14 and as an assistant coach at Pace University from 2005-13. In his one season at Lehman, James’ squad posted a 12-21 record, an eight-win improvement (4-24) from the previous season. In his nine seasons as an assistant at Pace, James helped lead his teams to five 20-win seasons (2008-12), including a 29-19 record in 2008.
A 2000 Pace graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, James was a four-year member of the Setters’ football team. He also served as a resident assistant for three years and a resident director for three years on Pace’s Pleasantville, NY, campus. James joined the Pace Athletics Department staff in 2001 and served as the Assistant Facilities Manager for two years and then Department Equipment Manager from 2004-13.
James, who went on to earn a master's degree in Public Administration from Pace in 2003, is certified as both a personal trainer and in strength and conditioning.
A member of the NFCA Board of Directors, James serves as the organization’s Vice President for Membership and is a member of the NFCA Head Coaches Committee for Region IV and the All American Committee. He formerly served on the NCAA Northeast Regional Advisory Committee.
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, James also served as Head Coach within the Hudson Valley Express Organization (2009-13) and as an assistant coach of the Hudson Valley Empire State Team (2008-10).
A native of Brooklyn, NY, James resides in Croton-on-Hudson, NY.
JAMES' YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORD
NYU
| Year |
Overall |
UAA |
| 2015 |
12-24 |
0-10 |
| 2016 E |
26-15 |
4-6 |
| 2017 e |
19-19 |
5-9 |
| 2018 e |
21-20 |
5-11 |
| 2019 |
20-13 |
8-0 |
| 2020* |
3-5 |
----- |
| 2021** |
----- |
----- |
| 2022 |
17-20 |
7-9 |
| 2023 |
19-19 |
6-14 |
| 2024 |
8-28 |
1-19 |
| TOTALS |
145-163 |
36-87 |
Lehman
| Year |
Overall |
CUNYAC |
| 2014 |
12-21 |
4-8 |
| TOTALS |
12-21 |
4-8 |
Overall Record: 157-184 (.460)
E ECAC Division III Metro Champions
e ECAC Division III Championship Semifinals
* Season suspended due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
** Season canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
