UCLA Softball Promotes Lisa Fernandez to Associate Head Coach

The Bruins have given one of their most storied pitchers, assistant coaches and recruiters a title bump ahead of the 2023 season.

An all-time great Bruin on the field has earned herself a promotion off of it.

UCLA softball and head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez announced Wednesday afternoon that Lisa Fernandez has been promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach. Fernandez – who is heading into her 25th season on the Bruins' staff – has been an assistant coach for 19 years after spending five seasons as a volunteer coach.

The associate head coach position has not been a title used in Westwood during Inouye-Perez’s tenure– nor during Sue Enquist’s preceding term as head coach – making Fernandez the first to claim the role. Promotions of this stature usually come alongside a pay raise, but the Bruins did not confirm one in their press release.

"Being elevated to associate head coach further solidifies my presence in the program," Fernandez said in the statement. "Having the support of the athletics department to continue to be part of the tradition and legacy of UCLA means a lot to me. UCLA is a special place, and I'm looking forward to the future."

The UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame member has been the pitching coach at Easton Stadium since 2019. In Fernandez’s first year in the role, she led the staff to the second-lowest ERA in the country at 1.43 en route to winning the 2019 Women’s College World Series while also coaching Rachel Garcia to the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year award.

In 2022, Fernandez helped Megan Faraimo, Holly Acevedo and Lauren Shaw each post ERAs below 2.00, in addition to guiding the group to another WCWS trip.

Fernandez was previously an All-American pitcher at UCLA, and she played for Team USA during the 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. She is routinely heralded as one of the best college softball players ever.

During Fernandez’s time in Westwood, she tossed 11 no-hitters and two perfect games, earning a 93-7 record, 0.22 ERA and 784 strikeouts across four seasons.

"Lisa Fernandez is an icon in our sport, and she's been a big part of continuing the tradition of excellence of UCLA softball as both a student-athlete and coach," Inouye-Perez said. "She oversees all aspects of the program with her main focus on recruiting. We have had several No. 1 recruiting classes because of her. I am fortunate to have her loyalty to our Bruin family and am thrilled to name her associate head coach."

Fernandez has also taken charge as one of the program’s lead recruiters over the past few years, routinely securing some of the nation’s top classes. A large chunk of the roster can be attributed to Fernandez’s strong recruiting push, and that appears to be a trend that will hold as the years go on.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF UCLA ATHLETICS