Cindy Ball-Malone
{{short description|American softball coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Cindy Ball-Malone
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| current_title = Head coach
| current_team = UCF
| current_conference = Big 12
| current_record = {{winpct|251|129|3|record=y}}
| contract =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = Pacific
| player_years1 = 1999−2002
| player_team1 = Pacific
| player_positions = Pitcher
| coach_years1 = 2002−2006
| coach_team1 = Pacific (asst.)
| coach_years2 = 2007
| coach_team2 = Modesto Junior College
| coach_years3 = 2008−2010
| coach_team3 = Cosumnes River College
| coach_years4 = 2011−2012
| coach_team4 = Washington (asst.)
| coach_years5 = 2013−2014
| coach_team5 = Cal State Northridge (asst.)
| coach_years6 = 2015−2018
| coach_team6 = Boise State
| coach_years7 = 2019–Present
| coach_team7 = UCF
| overall_record = {{winpct|350|245|2|record=y}}
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
- MWC Regular Season Championship (2018)
- AAC Regular Season Champions (2022)
- 2× AAC Tournament Champions (2022, 2023)
| awards =
;As player
- 2× Big West Pitcher of the Year (2001, 2002)
- 2× Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Third Team All-American (2001, 2002)
- Verizon Academic All-America First Team (2002)
- All-Big West Second Team (1999)
- 3× All-Big West First Team (2000, 2001, 2002)
- 2× NFCA All-West Region First Team (2001, 2002)
- NFCA All-West Region Second Team (2000)
;As coach
- MWC Coach of the Year (2018)
- AAC Coaching Staff of the Year (2022)
- Extra Innings Softball National Coach of the Year (2022)
- NFCA Mideast Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2022)
| coaching_records =
}}
Cindy Ball-Malone is an American softball coach who is the current head coach at UCF.{{cite web |title=CINDY BALL-MALONE |url=https://ucfknights.com/sports/softball/roster/season/2023-24/staff/cindy-ball-malone |website=UCFKnights.com |publisher=UCF Athletics |access-date=14 February 2024}}
Early life and education
Ball-Malone graduated from the University of the Pacific in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sports sciences and earned her master's in education in 2006. She played softball, volleyball, and basketball in middle school and high school with famed Stanford and USA softball player, Jessica Mendoza.{{cite web |last1=Barton |first1=Despina |title=UCF's Cindy Ball-Malone cherishes friendship with Jessica Mendoza |url=https://mynews13.com/fl/orlando/sports/2019/04/16/ucf-softball-coach-cindy-ball-malone-cherishes-long-standing-friendship-with-jessica-mendoza |website=MyNews13.com |publisher=Charter Communications |access-date=14 February 2024}}
Coaching career
=Boise State=
On August 29, 2014, Ball-Malone was announced as the new head coach of the Boise State softball program.{{cite web |title=Cindy Ball Named Softball Head Coach |url=https://broncosports.com/news/2014/8/29/Cindy_Ball_Named_Softball_Head_Coach.aspx?path=softball |website=BroncoSports.com |publisher=BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS |accessdate=2 August 2019}}
=UCF=
On June 27, 2018, Ball-Malone was announced as the new head coach of the UCF softball program.{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=Eric |title=New Ball Game as UCF Names Cindy Ball Head Coach |url=https://fastpitchnews.com/college-softball-news/new-ball-game-as-ucf-names-cindy-ball-head-coach/352681 |website=FastPitchNews.com |publisher=Advanced Sports Media |access-date=14 February 2024}}{{cite web |title=BOISE STATE LOSES SOFTBALL COACH CINDY BALL TO CENTRAL FLORIDA |url=https://www.idahopress.com/blueturfsports/other/boise-state-loses-softball-coach-cindy-ball-to-central-florida/article_a2573aae-0537-53e9-a3e3-f4b02d6b2cb5.html |website=IdahoPress.com |publisher=Idaho Press |accessdate=2 August 2019}}{{cite web |title=BREAKING: UCF Names Cindy Ball New Softball Head Coach |url=https://www.blackandgoldbanneret.com/2018/6/27/17970752/breaking-ucf-names-cindy-ball-new-softball-head-coach |website=BlackAndGoldBanneret.com |publisher=Vox Media, Inc |accessdate=2 August 2019}}
The 2022 season, under Ball-Malone, UCF won a conference regular season and tournament title. Central Florida would also advance to their first ever NCAA Super Regional after downing Michigan in the Orlando Regional Final.{{cite web |last1=Logan |first1=Collier |title=UCF Softball Advances to Super Regionals for First Time in School History |url=https://www.si.com/college/ucf/ucf-baseball/ucf-softball-advances-super-regionals |website=SI.com |publisher=Sports Illustrated Media Group |access-date=13 February 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Beede |first1=Jason |title=SUBSCRIBER ONLY UCF softball beats Michigan, advances to first NCAA Super Regional |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/05/23/ucf-softball-beats-michigan-advances-to-first-ncaa-super-regional/ |website=OrlandoSentinel.com |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=13 February 2024}} Following the successful 2022 season, Ball-Malone's contract was extended through 2027 on July 22 of 2022.{{cite web |last1=Beede |first1=Jason |title=UCF rewards softball coach with extension, salary bump after stellar season |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2022/06/23/ucf-rewards-softball-coach-with-extension-salary-bump-after-stellar-season/ |website=OrlandoSentinel.com |publisher=Orlando Sentinel |access-date=13 February 2024}}{{cite web |title=UCF Wins By Keeping Cindy Ball-Malone Through 2027 |url=https://www.blackandgoldbanneret.com/softball/2022/7/5/23179724/ucf-knights-softball-wins-by-keeping-cindy-ball-malone-through-2027 |website=BlackandGoldBanneret.com |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=13 February 2024}} She has also been tasked with continuing the program's success in a new conference in 2024, after UCF agreed to a move to join the Big 12 Conference.{{cite web |last1=Covert |first1=Justice |title=UCF softball prepares to take on the Big 12 |url=https://www.nicholsonstudentmedia.com/sports/ucf-softball-prepares-to-take-on-the-big-12/article_780f3364-bf04-11ee-8c59-6f782b9c4731.html |website=NicholsonStudentMedia.com |publisher=Flex BLOX CMS |access-date=13 February 2024}}
=Team USA=
On March 4, 2019, Ball-Malone was selected to serve as an assistant coach for the USA Junior National Team.{{cite web |last1=Lopez |first1=Eric |title=Cindy Ball-Malone Named to U.S. Junior National Team Coaching Staff |url=https://www.blackandgoldbanneret.com/softball/2019/3/5/18251191/ucf-knights-softball-cindy-ball-malone-named-to-team-u-s-a-softball-junior-coaching-staff |website=BlackandGoldBanneret.com |publisher=Vox Media |access-date=13 February 2024}}{{cite web |title=UCF's Cindy Ball-Malone Added to Junior Team USA Staff |url=https://theamerican.org/news/2019/3/4/softball-ucfs-cindy-ball-malone-added-to-junior-team-usa-staff.aspx |website=TheAmerican.org |publisher=AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE |access-date=13 February 2024}}
Honors and personal life
Ball-Malone was inducted into the Pacific Hall of Fame in 2014. She had had her jersey No. 9 retired by the school as well.{{cite web |title=CINDY BALL |url=https://pacifictigers.com/honors/hall-of-fame/cindy-ball/143 |website=PacificTigers.com |publisher=Pacific Tigers |access-date=14 February 2024}}
On February 10, 2023, Ball-Malone was Pacific's honoree in the 2023 West Coast Conference Hall of Honor. She is labeled as the best two-way player in program history.{{cite web |title=Former Pacific softball star and coach honored by WCC |url=https://www.pacific.edu/pacific-newsroom/former-pacific-softball-star-and-coach-honored-wcc |website=Pacific.edu |publisher=University of the Pacific |access-date=13 February 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Faraudo |first1=Jeff |title=WCC Hall Of Honor: Cindy Ball-Malone |url=https://wccsports.com/news/2023/2/13/athlete-awards-hall-of-honor-cindy-ball-malone.aspx#:~:text=Ball%2DMalone's%20credentials%20are%20compelling,and%20hit%2019%20home%20runs. |website=WCCSports.com |publisher=West Coast Conference |access-date=14 February 2024}}
Ball-Malone is married to Robert Malone III.{{cite web |title=ROBERT MALONE III |url=https://ucfknights.com/staff/robert-malone-iii |website=UCFKnights.com |publisher=UCF Athletics |access-date=14 February 2024}}
Head coaching record
Sources:{{cite web |title=MWC Softball Record Book |url=https://themw.com/documents/2018/4/16/2018_Softball_History_Record_Book_4_16_18.pdf |website=TheMW.com |publisher=Mountain West Conference |accessdate=2 August 2019}}{{cite web |title=AAC Softball 2024 Record Book |url=https://theamerican.org/documents/2024/1/24/AmericanSB_2024_Record_Book.pdf |website=TheAmerican.org |publisher=AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE |access-date=13 February 2024}}
=College=
{{CBB yearly record start | type =coach | conference = | postseason= }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Boise State Broncos
| conference = Mountain West Conference
| startyear = 2015
| endyear = 2018
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2015
| name = Boise State
| overall = 12–42
| conference = 4–20
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2016
| name = Boise State
| overall = 14–38
| conference = 6–18
| confstanding = 9th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2017
| name = Boise State
| overall = 33–20
| conference = 12–12
| confstanding = 6th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| season = 2018
| name = Boise State
| overall = 40–16
| conference = 18–6
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = Boise State
| overall = {{winpct|99|116|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|40|56|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UCF Knights
| conference = American Athletic Conference
| startyear = 2019
| endyear = 2023
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2019
| name = UCF
| overall = 34–21
| conference = 11–10
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2020
| name = UCF
| overall = 21–5–1
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding =
| postseason = Season canceled due to COVID-19
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| season = 2021
| name = UCF
| overall = 41–19–1
| conference = 16–7–1
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = confboth
| season = 2022
| name = UCF
| overall = 49–14
| conference = 16–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason = NCAA Super Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season = 2023
| name = UCF
| overall = 40–21
| conference = 15–3
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UCF Knights
| conference = Big 12 Conference
| startyear = 2024
| endyear = Present
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2024
| name = UCF
| overall = 31–25
| conference = 12–15
| confstanding = 5th
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 2025
| name = UCF
| overall = 35-24-1
| conference = 12-12
| confstanding =
| postseason = NCAA Regional
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name = UCF
| overall = {{winpct|251|129|3|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{winpct|82|49|1|record=y}}
}}
{{CBB yearly record end
| overall = {{winpct|350|245|3|record=y}}
}}
Coaching tree
Coached under:
- Heather Tarr: Washington (2011–2012)
- Tairia Flowers: Cal State Northridge (2013−2014)
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://ucfknights.com/sports/softball/roster/season/2023-24/staff/cindy-ball-malone UCF Profile]
{{Big 12 Conference softball coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball-Malone, Cindy}}
Category:American softball coaches
Category:American female sports coaches
Category:Cal State Northridge Matadors softball coaches
Category:Pacific Tigers softball coaches
Category:UCF Knights softball coaches