CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Lesley University Athletics Director Jen Benway has announced Heather Ross as the newest Head Coach of the Lynx Softball program. Ross, standout player at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, comes to Lesley after spending the past three seasons as an Assistant Coach for the River Hawks.
"We are thrilled to add someone like Heather to our staff," said Benway. "She brings a tremendous pedigree as both a player and a coach and she will bring our program to new heights. She has a strong passion for the game and is driven to make a positive impact on our community."
"I would like to thank Athletics Director and former head softball coach Jen Benway for giving me the opportunity to lead the Lesley Softball Program to the next level," said the newly-appointed Ross. "I am truly grateful to begin my head coaching career at Lesley University because of the respected reputation and tradition of success Jen has built. I cannot wait to put my imprint on the Lesley Softball Program, instilling a culture of excellence in all aspects of each student-athlete's lives."
Ross joined her alma mater in August of 2013 during UMass Lowell's inaugural Division 1 season in the America East Conference where she played a crucial role in helping the student-athletes transition during this elevation period. On the field she managed the infield and worked with the hitters, and recruited nationally, lead community services initiatives, and directed camps off the field.
During her playing career as a River Hawk, Ross helped lead her team to the NE-10 Tournament Championship as a freshman and to the NCAA Tournament East Region semifinal. She led the River Hawks to appearances in the NE-10 Tournament all four years of her career and ranked atop the NE-10 leaders in double plays, put outs, chances, at bats, doubles, triples, RBI's, and total bases during her senior campaign.
Ross excelled in the classroom at UML as well as she was named to the NE-10 conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for four consecutive semesters and was tabbed a 2011 Scholar-Athlete Recipient for Academic and Athletic Achievement. She capped her UMass-Lowell career ranked among the program's top ten in career leaders for games played, doubles, home runs, total bases, and tied the single season win record with her 2011 team.
Prior to returning to UMass Lowell, Ross was an assistant coach at Emmanuel College for two seasons. She served as the Saints' hitting, infield and catching coach. Ross also works as the Director of Softball Operations and the Baseball Administrator for the New England Nor'Easters located at Extra Innings-Tewksbury. She has spent the past 2 years building the Nor'Easters Softball Program from the ground up and currently has 70 players in her program representing teams 10u – 16u.
The Waltham, Mass. native graduated from UMass Lowell in 2011 with a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree and in 2013 with a Master of Arts Degree in Social and Economic Development.