Photo by: Chuck Marvel
Jodie Cox Named CSUN Softball Interim Head Coach
7/1/2025 12:34:00 PM | Softball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif – CSUN's Acting Director of Athletics Mary Beth Walker has announced the appointment of Jodie Cox as interim head coach for the CSUN softball program. Cox, a Matador assistant coach during the 2025 season, will be the eighth coach to lead the Matadors in the program's storied history.
"I am confident that Jodie is the right person to lead this team as interim head coach for the 2026 season," said Walker. "Her familiarity with the student-athletes, the program, and the CSUN softball community will ensure a smooth transition. I believe she will bring stability and focus as we move forward."
Cox returned to CSUN in 2025 after building an extensive coaching resume in the Division I, Division III, and high school ranks. She previously served as a CSUN assistant coach under head coach Barbara Jordan from 2005-2007 when the Matadors won 61 games over a three-year period and earned an NCAA Regional berth in 2007.
Cox assumed the role as pitching coach for the Matadors this past season, helping coach CSUN to a staff 3.61 ERA, while the team finished as runner up at the Big West Championship. Under the tutelage of Cox, the pitching staff racked up 180 strikeouts on the year.
Cox spent three seasons as a varsity assistant coach at Clovis East High School from 2022-2024, which followed a successful five-year stint at Fresno State from 2017-2021. With the Bulldogs, Cox served as the primary pitching instructor while also serving a stint as interim head coach in 2021.
Cox helped coach the Bulldogs to an impressive 161-82 record, including four 30-plus win campaigns and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. In her final season with Fresno State, Cox served as interim head coach and guided Fresno State to a Mountain West championship along with a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
After beginning her coaching career in 2004 as an undergraduate assistant at Cal State Fullerton, Cox spent one year as an assistant coach at Syracuse (2004-05) where she helped guide the Orange pitching staff to a 28-22 record, a 2.24 earned run average, 31 complete games, six shutouts and 324 strikeouts in 331 innings pitched. She was also a member of the 2005 Big East Conference Coaching Staff of the Year.
Cox spent five years as the head coach at Division III Occidental College in Los Angeles (2007-2012), where she took over a program that won three games the season before her hiring. Cox and her staff tied the school record for wins in a season in 2009 and broke that record during an 18-win season in 2011.
She then served as an assistant coach from 2012-15 at UC Riverside before ultimately being promoted to associate head coach for the Highlanders in 2016. Cox was the primary pitching instructor and mentored two 20-game winners, the 2015 national leader in saves, and the 2015 Co-Big West Pitcher of the Year with a 30-10 record. In 2015, UC Riverside ranked 14th nationally in ERA (2.13) and saw the program's first no-hitter.
As a student-athlete, Cox was a four-year starter at Cal State Fullerton from 2000-03, where she helped the Titans to four consecutive Big West titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. She earned NFCA All-America Third Team accolades as a senior along with four consecutive All-Big West selections, including three first-team honors and two All-West Region First Team awards in her career. Cox went 21-7 with a 1.06 ERA and 224 strikeouts in the circle in 2003 as she held opponents to a .125 batting average en route to collecting Co-Big West Pitcher of the Year accolades.
"First of all I want to thank President Erica Beck, Vice President Colin Donahue, Acting Director of Athletics Mary Beth Walker, and Deputy Director of Athletics Sonia Hahn for this incredible opportunity," said Cox. "I'm looking forward to building on the success and culture that Charlotte Morgan has established here at CSUN. I am a high-energy coach, and I'm looking forward to recruiting players with similar energy, a passion for the game, high softball IQ, and student-athletes who take pride in excelling in the classroom. Go Matadors!"
The 2026 Softball schedule is yet to be announced, but the team is expected to play a full schedule of fall exhibition games, which will be announced later this summer.
#GoMatadors
"I am confident that Jodie is the right person to lead this team as interim head coach for the 2026 season," said Walker. "Her familiarity with the student-athletes, the program, and the CSUN softball community will ensure a smooth transition. I believe she will bring stability and focus as we move forward."
Cox returned to CSUN in 2025 after building an extensive coaching resume in the Division I, Division III, and high school ranks. She previously served as a CSUN assistant coach under head coach Barbara Jordan from 2005-2007 when the Matadors won 61 games over a three-year period and earned an NCAA Regional berth in 2007.
Cox assumed the role as pitching coach for the Matadors this past season, helping coach CSUN to a staff 3.61 ERA, while the team finished as runner up at the Big West Championship. Under the tutelage of Cox, the pitching staff racked up 180 strikeouts on the year.
Cox spent three seasons as a varsity assistant coach at Clovis East High School from 2022-2024, which followed a successful five-year stint at Fresno State from 2017-2021. With the Bulldogs, Cox served as the primary pitching instructor while also serving a stint as interim head coach in 2021.
Cox helped coach the Bulldogs to an impressive 161-82 record, including four 30-plus win campaigns and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. In her final season with Fresno State, Cox served as interim head coach and guided Fresno State to a Mountain West championship along with a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
After beginning her coaching career in 2004 as an undergraduate assistant at Cal State Fullerton, Cox spent one year as an assistant coach at Syracuse (2004-05) where she helped guide the Orange pitching staff to a 28-22 record, a 2.24 earned run average, 31 complete games, six shutouts and 324 strikeouts in 331 innings pitched. She was also a member of the 2005 Big East Conference Coaching Staff of the Year.
Cox spent five years as the head coach at Division III Occidental College in Los Angeles (2007-2012), where she took over a program that won three games the season before her hiring. Cox and her staff tied the school record for wins in a season in 2009 and broke that record during an 18-win season in 2011.
She then served as an assistant coach from 2012-15 at UC Riverside before ultimately being promoted to associate head coach for the Highlanders in 2016. Cox was the primary pitching instructor and mentored two 20-game winners, the 2015 national leader in saves, and the 2015 Co-Big West Pitcher of the Year with a 30-10 record. In 2015, UC Riverside ranked 14th nationally in ERA (2.13) and saw the program's first no-hitter.
As a student-athlete, Cox was a four-year starter at Cal State Fullerton from 2000-03, where she helped the Titans to four consecutive Big West titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. She earned NFCA All-America Third Team accolades as a senior along with four consecutive All-Big West selections, including three first-team honors and two All-West Region First Team awards in her career. Cox went 21-7 with a 1.06 ERA and 224 strikeouts in the circle in 2003 as she held opponents to a .125 batting average en route to collecting Co-Big West Pitcher of the Year accolades.
"First of all I want to thank President Erica Beck, Vice President Colin Donahue, Acting Director of Athletics Mary Beth Walker, and Deputy Director of Athletics Sonia Hahn for this incredible opportunity," said Cox. "I'm looking forward to building on the success and culture that Charlotte Morgan has established here at CSUN. I am a high-energy coach, and I'm looking forward to recruiting players with similar energy, a passion for the game, high softball IQ, and student-athletes who take pride in excelling in the classroom. Go Matadors!"
The 2026 Softball schedule is yet to be announced, but the team is expected to play a full schedule of fall exhibition games, which will be announced later this summer.
#GoMatadors
Softball--CSUN vs. Hawai'i
Saturday, May 04
Softball-CSUN vs. UC Riverside
Saturday, April 13
Softball-CSUN vs. UCLA
Sunday, March 24
Softball-CSUN vs. Saint Mary's
Saturday, March 23