Utah Valley University softball head coach Cody Thomson has announced the hiring of assistant coach Sam Duran, the first addition to his new coaching staff. Duran spent the past three years on staff at Cal State East Bay in Hayward, California before joining the Wolverines in August of 2021.
“Sam is a rising star in the softball coaching world. Her resume as a coach and player makes her a perfect fit for our program,” Thomson said. “We’re happy to have her be a key part of what we’re building here at UVU.”
“I am very excited to be joining the Wolverine family, and to be able to work with this incredible group of athletes,” Duran said. “This university has so much to offer, and with the leadership of Coach Thomson I have no doubt in my mind that we will create something really special here at UVU. I am honored and thrilled to be a part of this institution. I cannot wait to get started!”
Prior to her time at Cal State East Bay, Duran was a graduate assistant at CSU Bakersfield from 2016-18, during which the Runners were members of the WAC. She began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at San Diego State in 2015.
She attended national power UCLA and was a four-year letterwinner for the Bruins from 2011-15. Duran was a part of four NCAA Regional and two NCAA Super Regional team, including during her senior season in 2015. That, UCLA squad advanced to the Women’s College World Series, where Duran scored a run in the Bruins’ win over Oregon in their opening game.
A native of Whittier, California, Duran obtained an undergraduate degree from UCLA in political science and later earned a master’s degree in public policy and administration from CSU Bakersfield.
