Cindy Ball-Malone

Cindy Ball-Malone
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamUCF
ConferenceBig 12
Record292–147–4 (.664)
Biographical details
Born (1979-12-14) December 14, 1979
Simi Valley, California, U.S.
EducationPacific
Playing career
1999−2002Pacific
PositionPitcher
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
College Softball
2002−2006Pacific (asst.)
2007Modesto Junior College
2008−2010Cosumnes River College
2011−2012Washington (asst.)
2013−2014Cal State Northridge (asst.)
2015−2018Boise State
2019–PresentUCF
Professional softball
2026-presentUtah Talons
National team
2019-2022Team USA women's softball (asst.)
Head coaching record
Overall391–263–4 (.597)
Accomplishments and honors
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 Coach of the Year (2022)
  • 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)
  • NFCA Gulf Region Coaching Staff of the Year (2026)

Cynthia Lynn Ball-Malone (née Ball; born December 14, 1979) is an American softball coach and former player who is the head coach at UCF and for the Utah Talons of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL). She played college softball at the University of the Pacific.

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.[1]

Playing career

Ball-Malone was named to the NFCA All-American team in 2001 and 2002. She was inducted into the Pacific Hall of Fame in 2014 and had her jersey No. 9 retired by the school.[2]

On February 10, 2023, Ball-Malone was the Pacific Tigers honoree in the 2023 West Coast Conference Hall of Honor. She is labeled as the best two-way player in program history.[3][4]

Coaching career

Boise State

On August 29, 2014, Ball-Malone was announced as the new head coach of the Boise State softball program.[5]

UCF

UCF Softball Coach Cindy Ball-Malone during a home game with Buffalo, 2-8-26.

On June 27, 2018, Ball-Malone was announced as the new head coach of the UCF softball program.[6][7][8] 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.[9][10] Following the successful 2022 season, Ball-Malone's contract was extended through 2027 on July 22 of 2022.[11][12] 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.[13]

Team USA

On March 4, 2019, Ball-Malone was selected to serve as an assistant coach for the USA Junior National Team.[14][15]

Utah Talons

On March 30, 2026, Ball-Malone was announced as head coach of the Utah Talons of the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL).[16]

Personal life

She is married to Robert Malone III and the couple has four children.[17]

Head coaching record

Sources:[18][19]

College

Record table
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Boise State Broncos (Mountain West Conference) (2015–2018)
2015 Boise State 12–424–209th
2016 Boise State 14–386–189th
2017 Boise State 33–2012–126th
2018 Boise State 40–1618–61st
Boise State: 99–116 (.460)40–56 (.417)
UCF Knights (American Athletic Conference) (2019–2023)
2019 UCF 34–2111–105th
2020 UCF 21–5–10–0Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 UCF 41–19–116–7–13rdNCAA Regional
2022 UCF 49–1416–21stNCAA Super Regional
2023 UCF 40–2115–32ndNCAA Regional
UCF Knights (Big 12 Conference) (2024–Present)
2024 UCF 31–2512–155thNCAA Regional
2025 UCF 35-24-112-127thNCAA Regional
2026 UCF 41-18-114-9-14thNCAA Super Regional
UCF: 292–147–4 (.664)96–58–2 (.622)
Total:391–263–4 (.597)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Coaching tree

Coached under:

References

  1. ↑ Barton, Despina. "UCF's Cindy Ball-Malone cherishes friendship with Jessica Mendoza". MyNews13.com. Charter Communications. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Cindy Ball". PacificTigers.com. Pacific Tigers. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Former Pacific softball star and coach honored by WCC". Pacific.edu. University of the Pacific. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  4. ↑ Faraudo, Jeff. "WCC Hall Of Honor: Cindy Ball-Malone". WCCSports.com. West Coast Conference. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Cindy Ball Named Softball Head Coach". BroncoSports.com. BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  6. ↑ Lopez, Eric. "New Ball Game as UCF Names Cindy Ball Head Coach". FastPitchNews.com. Advanced Sports Media. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  7. ↑ "BOISE STATE LOSES SOFTBALL COACH CINDY BALL TO CENTRAL FLORIDA". IdahoPress.com. Idaho Press. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  8. ↑ "BREAKING: UCF Names Cindy Ball New Softball Head Coach". BlackAndGoldBanneret.com. Vox Media, Inc. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  9. ↑ Logan, Collier. "UCF Softball Advances to Super Regionals for First Time in School History". SI.com. Sports Illustrated Media Group. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  10. ↑ Beede, Jason. "SUBSCRIBER ONLY UCF softball beats Michigan, advances to first NCAA Super Regional". OrlandoSentinel.com. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  11. ↑ Beede, Jason. "UCF rewards softball coach with extension, salary bump after stellar season". OrlandoSentinel.com. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  12. ↑ "UCF Wins By Keeping Cindy Ball-Malone Through 2027". BlackandGoldBanneret.com. Vox Media. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  13. ↑ Covert, Justice. "UCF softball prepares to take on the Big 12". NicholsonStudentMedia.com. Flex BLOX CMS. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  14. ↑ Lopez, Eric. "Cindy Ball-Malone Named to U.S. Junior National Team Coaching Staff". BlackandGoldBanneret.com. Vox Media. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  15. ↑ "UCF's Cindy Ball-Malone Added to Junior Team USA Staff". TheAmerican.org. AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Cindy Ball-Malone Named Head Coach of Utah Talons". theausl.com. Athletes Unlimited Softball League. March 30, 2026. Archived from the original on April 16, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Cindy Ball-Malone". UCFKnights.com. UCF Athletics. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  18. ↑ "MWC Softball Record Book" (PDF). TheMW.com. Mountain West Conference. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  19. ↑ "AAC Softball 2024 Record Book" (PDF). TheAmerican.org. AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
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