Athletics & Fitness

Coaches


Head Coach -- Nick French

  In November of 2007 Simmons named Nick French as the head softball coach, and will enter his first season at the helm in 2008.

French has extensive playing and coaching experience, having been around the game since early childhood.

He began coaching at the age of 14 under his father Marty French, who ran the highly successful Bay State Blaze Junior Olympic program. During that time he took part in six national tournaments and numerous others well sending many players on to college programs.

He has also served as pitching coach at his alma mater, Abington high school, for five years.

Under the tutelage of longtime head coach Steve Kingman, he helped lead the Green Wave to its first outright league title in 16 years in 2000. The program has since won seven straight league titles, and at one point held a 67 game conference winning streak, while reaching the sectional semifinals three times.

He has been playing men’s fast pitch and modified softball for six seasons, and has played for the Boston Lynx the past two years as a pitcher. He has taken part in two Men’s Class A Modified National tournaments. 

French attended Emerson College where he played basketball for a season and helped out with the softball program as well. He graduated in 2005 with a degree in print and multimedia journalism. He has previously worked for the Boston Globe, and served as a sports editor for the Community Newspaper Company.

He will also serve as the full time sports information director for Simmons.

French is a native of Abington, Mass. And currently resides in South Boston.

 

Assistant Coach -- Annie Hennigan

Annie Hennigan completed her second year as assistant softball coach . She assists with all aspects of the program, including game and practice preparation, fundraising and works primarily with the pitching staff.

A former standout Simmons athlete, Hennigan received all-conference honors in both softball and field hockey. Hennigan, a transfer from Fordham University, was named the 2004 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in softball. She was also a recipient of the athletic department’s Coaches Award as a senior.

Hennigan also works fulltime in the athletic department as assistant to the directors. She was promoted to her previous position in June of 2006 after serving as an administrative assistant last year. In her role, Hennigan manages all financial processes for the department, executes the department’s strategic plan initiative and assists with promotions and special events planning.

Hennigan graduated magna cum laude from Simmons in 2005 with a B.A. in English. A native of Worcester, Mass., Hennigan currently resides in Dorchester and is pursing an MBA from Simmons.