On Thursday, Erin Brown announced the addition of Anthony Ruggiero as an assistant coach, beginning with the 2026 season.

"We're thrilled to welcome Anthony to our staff. He brings great energy and a solid foundation of experience, having worked alongside some of the most respected coaches in our game," said Brown His time at ULM with Molly Fichtner and Lea Wodach, as well as his experience under Shannon Doepking at Syracuse, has given him a well-rounded perspective that will be a tremendous asset to our pitchers and catchers. He's eager to get started, and we're excited for the impact he'll have on both player development and our daily operations.

Ruggiero comes to Lindenwood after spending the last two on the staff at the University of Louisiana Monroe. The 2025 season marked his first as a softball analyst as he was a graduate assistant in 2024. The Warhawks compiled a 35-22 record, including a 14-10 mark inside the Sun Belt a year ago.

Prior to his time in Monroe, La. Ruggiero spent the previous four seasons with Syracuse University as a student manager for the Softball program. A native of Upstate New York, he graduated from Syracuse in 2023 with two bachelors': one in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and the other in Sport Management.

Ruggiero graduated in 2024 from ULM with a master's in exercise science