The following release information was issued by Gardner-Webb and information and photo courtesy of Gardner-Webb…
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. –  The Gardner-Webb softball program and head coach Bailey Wigness announced the addition of Kiara Kennedy and Nick Puglisi to the coaching staff.
Kennedy enters her first season as an assistant coach with the Runnin’ Bulldogs after playing her graduate year on the diamond here at Gardner-Webb.
“I am so thankful Kiara has joined our staff,” said Wigness. “She knows the vision of the program and spent last year as a player helping to push that vision forward, she will continue to do that this year as a coach. Kiara has the trust and respect of the players already and she’s going to be a huge asset in all aspects of our program moving forward.”
Kennedy brings playing experience from the Western Athletic Conference, Pac-12 and finished her career in the Big South. With GWU, Kennedy played in 46 games while making 41 starts on the year. She had 23 hits for a .187 batting average, drawing 10 walks and five HBPs to get a .275 on base percentage. On the year, she had 12 RBIs, scored three runs, popped three doubles, and cracked one home run on the year.
As a Sun Devil from 2019-2022, Kennedy in 2020, was tied third on the team with five home runs in addition to an impressive .542 slugging percentage finishing the season with 24 putouts and 29 assists for a .914 field percentage. In 2019, she played in 40 games during her first season as a Sun Devil, including 35 appearances in the starting lineup, playing at both third base and DP. She also penciled 23 hits in her 84 at-bats to end the season with a .274 average.
She represented Sun Devil Softball on the SAAC Executive Board for Diversity and Inclusion/Sun Devils United. Kennedy also co-created new student organizations within Sun Devils Athletics, including Sun Devils United, President Crow’s Advisory Committee, and served as President of the Black Student Athlete Association (BSAA). She was recognized as a finalist for the Courageous Student-Athlete Giant Steps award for her work with ASU BAC (Black African Coalition), Sun Devils United, and President Michael Crow LIFT Initiative.
Beginning her career at Utah Valley University, she played in a total of 14 games with three starts on the year (two at DP and one at 3B). Kennedy was prepped at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix where she was named a 2017 FloSoftball Top-100 recruit before landing in Utah.
In 2023-2024, Puglisi enters his first season as an assistant coach with the Runnin’ Bulldogs after spending the 2023 season as the video and analytics coordinator at the University of Virginia.
“Nick is a great pick up for the program,” said Wigness. “He’s passionate about defense and I am excited to see the strides our defense makes this year. A huge priority in this search was finding someone who would fit in well with our staff, Nick was the right person. I am thankful he chose Gardner-Webb and am so excited to see what our staff and team can accomplish together.”
Puglisi joined the Cavaliers in September of 2022, where he worked closely with all facets of the game, but primarily with scouting film and data for both games and practice. He started with private baseball and softball clinics for fielding, hitting, and catching. He worked with ages from 10-22, including hosting clinics for 42 All-State award winners from 2014-2022.
Prior to joining Virginia, Puglisi served on the Seton Hall University staff for one season as a volunteer assistant coach from 2016-2017. He worked primarily with the defense, in which the team’s fielding percentage improved from .947 in 2016, to .963 in 2017.
Puglisi operated as the U18 head coach and program head of infield development for the NJ Pride for nine years (June 2014-August 2022). He was also an assistant coach at Kinnelon High School from 2020-2022, while the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, the team made the state sectional final in 2021 and won it in 2022 before losing in the state finals. He was also an assistant coach at Immaculate Heart Academy from 2015-2016, which led to back-to-back state championships.
He worked as a volunteer soccer and basketball coach for his hometown in North Haledon, N.J., from 2013-2016, and as a volunteer assistant coach for ice hockey at Immaculate Heart Academy in the 2015-2016 season.
Puglisi graduated from William Paterson University in December 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in biology before returning to WPU in 2021 to earn a second bachelor’s degree in chemistry.
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