Bio

The Central Connecticut State softball program welcomes Denise Marchese back for her fifth season as the team’s assistant coach.  She will work with the Blue Devil hitters, infielders and catchers.

Prior to coming to CCSU, Marchese worked at Oneonta State.  In 2004, she guided Oneonta to a 28-16 finish and an appearance in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.  The team finished 25th nationally, while also winning the SUNYAC Conference title.  Marchese posted a three-year record of 76-44-1, bringing her seven-year Division III coaching mark to 149-89-1. In 2003, she led the Red Dragons to a 24-14 season and to the championship game of the SUNYAC Tournament.

Before taking the post at Oneonta State, Marchese spent four seasons as head coach at St. Joseph College in West Hartford, CT.  She led those teams to a 73-45 record, building the softball program from the ground up.  Marchese produced the 2000 Great North Atlantic Conference (GNAC) champion while also earning GNAC Coach of the Year accolades.  St. Joseph’s went 27-9 and earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

A 1995 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, Marchese was a four-year starter at first base on three NCAA Division III Tournament-qualifying teams.  As a freshman, she started 35 games for the national runner-up Warriors.  She is the current New England record holder for career putouts (936) and career fielding chances (1,029).  Marchese won three straight Gold Glove Awards while registering a .983 career fielding percentage.

Marchese has worked with Louisville Slugger TPS sponsored camps for college showcase recruits, along with other elite softball camps, throughout the summer months.  She also works as a strength and conditioning coach for Mind Over Body Athletics and the Jump Series program.  The classes and training sessions, which are held for high school athletes, teach the fundamentals of strength and weight training, along with injury  prevention exercises focused on the ACL.

In 2004, Marchese received a master’s degree in physical education and exercise science from Central Connecticut State University.  She currently teaches Fitness and Wellness at the CCSU.