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JC Softball: OCC names softball coach

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Jodie Legaspi-Kiaha, a former Orange Coast College assistant coach, has been named softball coach at the school, OCC Athletic Director Kevin Smith announced Wednesday.

“We are so very excited to have Jodie back here at Orange Coast College,” said Smith, who coached the softball team before being named athletic director. “She brings a ton of softball knowledge and that, along with her successful history as a former player, was what the Pirates need to keep our program moving in the right direction.”

Legaspi-Kiaha joined the Pirates in 2010 and stayed until 2012 before returning to UCLA, where she was named director of softball operations the past two seasons.

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“I’m extremely excited to return to Orange Coast College as the new softball coach,” Legaspi-Kiaha said. “During my previous time at OCC, I fell in love with the school, its core values and potential that Coast possessed to be a premier springboard for continuing softball student-athletes. I can’t say enough about the department and all of the staff and faculty that I have connected with during my previous time here. I’m excited to build a strong tradition of athletic and academic excellence within the OCC softball program.”

Legaspi-Kiaha was a standout player for the Bruins, helping them win a NCAA championship as a freshman in 2004 to go along with a Pac-10 title in 2006. In four seasons at UCLA, she played in 230 games, batted .342 and had 43 home runs, 156 runs batted in, 128 runs, 230 hits, 40 doubles and 96 walks. She ranks No. 8 all-time at UCLA in home runs.

A member of the U.S. junior national team in 2002-03, Legaspi-Kiaha is one of 25 Bruins to earn all-conference honors all four seasons (2004-07). She earned a degree in sociology from UCLA with a minor in women’s studies in 2008.

“Her resume speaks for itself,” Smith said. “We loved having her in our program before and we were sad to see her leave. Now, we’re extremely excited to have her back.”

Following her playing career, Legaspi-Kiaha continued her education at Chico State and, while coaching the Pirates, she earned her master’s degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University in Irvine in 2011. She married Ryan Kiaha in 2011 and they welcomed daughter, Kellen, on Oct. 4, 2013.

— From staff reports

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