LA JOLLA, Calif. - Looking to make a return to postseason play, the UC San Diego softball program has hired two new assistant coaches, head coach Patti Gerckens announced on Monday. Nichole Willis, a former All-American at Fresno State, and Allison May, a member of the Tritons from 2006-09, will join the UCSD coaching staff for the 2011 season.

Willis comes to La Jolla after serving as a varsity assistant coach at Clovis High School in central California, where she was the team's strength and conditioning coordinator last season. Prior to joining the CHS staff, she was an assistant with the Fresno Force U-18 Gold club team and helped lead the squad to back-to-back appearances at Nationals. Willis has also served as a catching and hitting instructor for the last three years and worked briefly as a personal trainer.

Willis was a four-year starter for head coach Margie Wright at Fresno State, where she caught for a pair of Olympians in Jamie Southern and Robin Mackin. A three-time Easton All-American, she hit .299 for her career with 29 doubles, 23 home runs, 127 RBI, and 103 runs scored. She was named the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2004 and went on to earn all-conference accolades in three of her four seasons with the Bulldogs.

"I'm excited to have someone on the staff that played at the highest level like Nichole did," said Gerckens, who will enter her 19th season as head coach at UCSD in 2011. "As an All-WAC catcher, she will have a lot of knowledge and skills to share with our young catching staff next season."  

May returns to her alma mater as an assistant coach after working as an administrative and human resources assistant in El Segundo for the last several months. May also served as an operations coordinator for Velocity Sports Performance after graduating from UCSD in 2009 and has been conducting private softball lessons for the past two years.

An All-CCAA First Team honoree and NFCA Academic All-American, May batted .268 in 199 career games as a Triton, amassing 23 doubles, nine homers, 82 runs, 82 RBI, and 48 stolen bases. The Manhattan Beach, Calif. native was a key member of UCSD's 2009 squad that advanced to the NCAA Division II West Regional in St. George, Utah, batting .251 with a pair of home runs, 31 runs driven in and a team-high 22 steals.

"It will be great to have Allison back at UCSD as a coach," Gerckens said. "As a captain she was a great role model for us and I'm looking forward to watching her show off her skills in the outfield and being someone that our players can really model themselves after."

Both Willis and May are expected to be involved in all aspects of the coaching process, including recruiting, academics, development, and administrative duties. Willis will also coach outfield and hitting, while May will work on base running in addition to spending time with the outfielders.

The pair will join Gerckens and assistants Jessica Millsap and Sara Robinson to round out the Tritons' coaching staff.

Nichole Willis will be one of two new faces on the Triton coaching staff next season.