Nick French Joins Softball Staff

ATHENS, Ga. – University of Georgia head softball coach Tony Baldwin has announced the addition of Nick French to the staff. French will serve as the Director of Player Development.

French will focus primarily on pitch design and strategy using in-depth analytics.

"We're excited to welcome Nick back to Athens," Baldwin said. "He did an outstanding job with us in 2016 and he brings a lot of softball experience to our staff. We're looking forward to taking advantage of his knowledge of the sport."

"I'm really excited to be back in Athens," French said. "I love this town and this program and I'm looking forward to helping this team in its goal to reach another Women's College World Series."

French makes his return to Athens, previously serving as the volunteer assistant for the 2016 season, helping guide the Bulldogs to the Women's College World Series. Baldwin was an assistant with French on that staff while current assistant coach Chelsea Wilkinson was on the team.

Most recently, French served as the head coach at Bryant for five seasons (2019-23). He joined the Bryant staff as an assistant coach in 2018 before being elevated to head coach prior to the 2019 season.

Prior to Bryant, French made coaching stops at Georgia, Arizona, Memphis, Holy Cross, and Towson.

French spent 2012-15 in Worcester, Massachusetts, as an assistant coach at Holy Cross. He worked with the pitching staff and assisted in offensive instruction with the Crusaders. During his time at Holy Cross, French coached eight All-Patriot League selections and two NFCA All-Region honorees.

Before Holy Cross, French was a part of two very successful programs at Memphis and Arizona. At Memphis, French helped the Tigers enjoy their best season (36-14) and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. French also oversaw the academic achievement of a team that finished with a 3.2 GPA and had 16 of 20 student-athletes finish with a 3.0 GPA or better.

At Arizona, French served as a volunteer assistant coach under eight-time national champion and two-time United States Olympic team coach Mike Candrea. French helped the Wildcats to a national runner-up finish as he oversaw the daily operations of the program and assisted with the development of the outfielders.

The Abington, Massachusetts native began coaching at the age of 14 under his father, Marty French, who ran the highly successful Bay State Blaze Junior Olympic program. During that time, he took part in six national tournaments, sending many players on to college programs. He also served as pitching coach at his alma mater, Abington High School, for five years in addition to Emerson College.

French attended Emerson College where he played basketball for a season and assisted with the softball program. He graduated in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and minor in political science. He has previously worked for the Boston Globe and served as a sports editor for the Community Newspaper Company.

University of Georgia Athletics

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