LA JOLLA, Calif. – Head coach Nikki Palmer announced the additions of Brittney Garcia and Kiarra Crockett-Pope to her staff as assistant coaches. Both alumnae of the Big West, Garcia joins UC San Diego from UC Riverside and Crockett-Pope joins from CSUN. The duo brings a combined 8+ years of coaching experience.
 
Brittney Garcia's playing career at UC Riverside saw her start 164 of her 175 games under Nikki Palmer, with all 164 coming in her final three years of eligibility. The Chino product slashed .281/.367/.379 for her career and earned Second Team All-Big West honors in 2019 after ranking in the top 20 in the Big West that year in batting, on-base percentage, runs, hits, RBIs, triples and stolen bases. Her 35 runs in 2017 rank fourth on UCR's single-season list. 
 
"I am thrilled to welcome Brittney to the UC San Diego softball coaching staff," said head coach Nikki Palmer. "She brings a deep understanding of the Big West plus her extensive knowledge in defensive strategies and her expertise in training infielders will be invaluable assets to our team."
 
In her two seasons at her alma mater, Garcia helped the Highlanders to a 44-56 record with 10 of her scholar-athletes earning All-Big West distinction. She helped UCR improve their average at the plate as a team and saw their leading hitter improve her average from .343 to .386 with each hitting stat improving.

Prior to coming back to UC Riverside, Garcia enjoyed a highly-successful three-year stint as an assistant coach at Division II power Sonoma State from 2020 to 2022. The Seawolves went 59-26 with Garcia in the dugout while racking up four NFCA All-Region and 10 All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) selections. 
 
Palmer added, "along with her knowledge of the game, Brittney's outstanding character will undoubtedly enhance our program significantly."

After a shortened 17-8 first year and an entirely canceled second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garcia helped guide Sonoma State to just its fourth 40-win season in the program's 42-year history in 2022. SSU went 42-18 in Garcia's final year in Rohnert Park while claiming the program's second straight CCAA postseason title and 11th straight NCAA West Regional appearance. 

Kiarra Crockett-Pope graduated from CSUN in 2022 where she was the 2019 Big West Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year, was named to the 2019 Big West All-Freshman team, and was All-Big West Second team in the same year. She logged eight home runs, tying her for sixth in the league with Long Beach State's Nichole Fry while hitting .305 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in league play. 
 
"I am so excited to have Kiarra joining the UC San Diego softball staff as an assistant and pitching coach," Palmer said. "Her expertise in both pitching and catching, combined with her historic knowledge of the Big West, will significantly advance our program."
 
In her first coaching stint, Crockett-Pope helped guide Loyola Marymount to a 37-17 record in 2022 and its first West Coast Conference title in program history before an NCAA Regional appearance at UCLA, where the Lions downed Ole Miss in the opener.
 
"Kiarra's exceptional character and dedication will be a tremendous addition to our coaching staff and the culture of our program," Palmer added.
 
Crockett-Pope joined UC Riverside in the summer of 2022, where she helped the Highlanders to a 44-56 record with 10 of her scholar-athletes earning All-Big West distinction. The Highlanders' pitching staff posted a 2.85 ERA in Crockett-Pope's first season with the ace tossing 130 strikeouts over 146.2 innings.
 
The Tritons are entering their first season of NCAA Division I postseason eligibility after completing the four-year mandated transition period. UC San Diego softball begins the 2025 season with the La Jolla Invitational in February.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.