Laurie Nevarez, Head Softball Coach

How many years have you been coaching?

15 years, started few years after I stopped playing at UCLA as a fifth year undergrad.

Why did you pursue this career path?

It’s my love for educating, making a difference in young people’s lives and a love for this sport. After getting my Master’s in Education, I was given the opportunity to coach … as a Bruin.

Who is your role model when it comes to coaching?

I have two. Growing up in a youth environment playing at an elite level having a first hall of famer inducted as a youth coach his name is Larry Mays. He show[ed] me that coaching is about empowering the young athletes with the knowledge of the game.

My second one is my coach at UCLA, Sue Enquist, also a hall of famer. The most decorated and best coaches in the game and I think her tenacity and spirit is something that I always looked up to as a coach.

What do you hope your team takes away from you as a coach?

I am hoping that they can get persistence, resilenancy. Confidence in themselves, I think that as young women today it is important knowing that with preparation you can succeed in anything you can do even when you falter at times.

Matt Guiliano, Head Baseball Coach

How many years have you been coaching?

Overall, this is my twelfth year.

Why did you pursue this career path?

I was passionate about baseball for as long as I can remember… Just found the game and the strategies behind it… staying in the coaching path of baseball was always a mindset of mine and I happen to get an opportunity early, I took it and I stopped playing early, so I can start coaching.

Who is your role model when it comes to coaching?

There’s a lot of people that come to mind, Spark Anderson (Coach of the Cincinnati Reds from 1975-6) jumps to mind right away and Doc Edwards (Coach from the New York Mets 1990-91) [from the Major League Teams]. College wise, Augie Garrido (Former Head Coach of University of Texas), where kind of there’s no mess around no nonsense type approach “get after it, get it done or you don’t.”

What do you hope your team takes away from you as a coach?

I hope they take it as there is bigger things than baseball and you can correlate baseball to anything you do in life. Approach it the right way you can have success… I just want my guys to have high character and make sure they go out ready into the real world once they are done with baseball.