ITHACA, N.Y. — Devin Waddell, who recently served as a graduate manager for the UCLA softball team, has joined the Cornell softball coaching staff as an assistant coach, it was announced Thursday afternoon (July 16) by Tara Smith, the Jan Rock Zubrow '77 Head Coach of Cornell Softball.

"We are incredibly excited to have Devin join our program," Smith said. "She brings knowledge, tremendous energy, and a passion for player development. We look forward to learning and growing alongside her."

"I am beyond grateful to join Coach Smith and Coach (Marissa) Runyon for the opportunity to join the Cornell softball family, and help create a joyful and rewarding collegiate experience for our student-athletes," Waddell said. "It is an honor to serve at a university, and within a program, that values developing the whole person. I am incredibly excited to get to know and work worth with each player as we strive to accomplish something special together, while continuing to build upon the proud tradition of Cornell softball."

Waddell spent the 2026 season serving as a graduate manager with UCLA's softball program, which reached the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., for an NCAA-record 34th time and 10th time in the last 11 seasons in which a tournament was held. The Bruins finished the season with a 53-10 overall record and a 20-4 mark in Big Ten play. During her 10-month tenure with UCLA, Waddell worked closely with UCLA associate head coach and three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Fernandez on player development, while also gaining hands-on experience in practice planning, scouting, technolology and daily operations of the Bruins program.

Before UCLA, Waddell was a four-year letterwinner at Pomona-Pitzer, a Division III school in Pomona, Calif., where she became one of the most decorated players in program history. She earned four NFCA Second Team All-Region honors (2022-25), four First Team All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) selections and four SCIAC All-Academic Team nods (2022-25). As a freshman in 2022, Waddell was named SCIAC Newcomer of the Year and earned NFCA Division III Third Team All-American honors, becoming the first Sagehen softball player to be named an All-American. She added SCIAC Player of the Year honors in 2023.

Across her four-year career at Pomona-Pitzer, Waddell went 40-31 across 84 appearances and 72 starts in the circle, posting a 2.42 ERA over 480 1/3 innings with 212 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .239 batting average. Offensively, she finished as the program's career leader in hits (222), doubles (49) and runs (118), and ranked second in home runs (32), RBI (112) and batting average (.398). She closed out her collegiate career with a .672 slugging percentage and a 1.116 OPS.

Originally from Sherman Oaks, Calif., Waddell received her's master's degree in transformative coaching and leadership from UCLA this past June after obtaining her bachelor's degree in anthropology from Pomona-Pitzer in 2025.