IUPUI Names Rivera Head Softball Coach
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – IUPUI Director of Athletics Mike Moore announced that Amanda Rivera has been hired as the new head coach of the IUPUI softball program and her duties begin on July 1.
"We are pleased to welcome Amanda into the Jaguars family. She has the experience, both as a player and coach, to make IUPUI Softball competitive not only in The Summit League, but the Midwest region as well," Moore said. "She is committed to providing a positive experience for our student-athletes and preparing them to become Champions."
Rivera, who has ties to the area serving as the first assistant at Indiana University from 2008-2011, has also served as an assistant coach at North Carolina State in addition to a pair of volunteer assistant stints at Northwestern and a volunteer assistant position at her alma mater, Illinois-Chicago.
"I am excited about the opportunity to come to IUPUI and work with a great group of student-athletes and help the softball program grow," Rivera said. "I want to thank Mike Moore and the committee for giving me this opportunity. I love the Indianapolis area and can't wait for the opportunity to restore the IUPUI softball tradition."
This past season, Rivera went back to Northwestern to gain another season of experience under Wildcats head coach Kate Drohan after spending the 2006 and 2007 seasons as a volunteer assistant in the Northwestern program.
Rivera was part of the Wildcats coaching staff, which was named the National Coaching Staff of the Year in 2006, after helping lead the team to a Big Ten Championship and a National Runner-Up finish. A year later, Northwestern returned to the Women's College World Series finishing third thanks in part to Big Ten Player of the Year, Garland Cooper. Rivera helped Cooper set single-season and career home run records at Northwestern en route to being named the league's only three-time player of the year.
Following her first stint in Evanston, Ill., Rivera spent the 2008 season as an assistant at North Carolina State, before moving to nearby Indiana University for the 2009 season.
With the Wolfpack, Rivera concentrated on hitting and fielding instruction, in particular the outfielders. She was also a key component in the day-to-day operations of the Wolfpack program and directed all of the softball camps and clinics.
In three seasons in Bloomington, Rivera served as the recruiting coordinator in addition to her on-field coaching and player development responsibilities. During her final season, the Hoosiers posted a 37-18 overall mark and 17-3 Big Ten record in 2011 as Indiana made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.
Rivera played collegiately at UIC from 2001-04 and cemented her name in the Flames record books. She remains the programs career leader in home runs (52), while ranking second in career RBI (193) and walks (125).
In 2004, she set several single-season school records including home runs (20) and RBI (64) en route to earning All-America, Horizon League Player of the Year and Horizon League Tournament MVP honors.
Two years earlier, Rivera was named Horizon League Tournament MVP for the first time in her career and additionally was a four-year All-Great Lakes Region selection and the Horizon League Rookie of the Year selection in 2001.
Upon her graduation from UIC with a degree in Movement Science in 2005, she immediately moved into the role of volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, while also continuing her duties as a private hitting instructor in Chicago. She also was the head coach for the Oak Park Windmills from 2002-2007 and an assistant coach for the Southern California Blazers Gold in 2001.
