JoAnne Ferguson enters her 20th season as head softball coach for the Sagehens in 2025. Since her arrival at Pomona-Pitzer, Ferguson has successfully turned the program around, culminating in the winningest season in school history in 2019, when the Sagehens were 31-12-1 overall, 21-7 in the SCIAC and qualified for the conference tournament. In 2013, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association recognized the Sagehens with the second-highest team GPA in Division III, surpassing its previous high of fourth in 2011.Â
During Ferguson’s reign at Pomona-Pitzer, she has coached 46 All-SCIAC players, 17 All West Region players, the first NCAA All American in the program’s history (Devin Waddell), two Pomona-Pitzer Athlete of the Year (Devin Waddell & Liz Rodarte) and two Pomona-Pitzer Scholar Athletes of the Year (Alyssa Corley & Mackenzie Smith). She also broke the single-season record for wins consistently at Pomona-Pitzer reaching the highest marks in 2018 and again in 2019 - finishing second in SCIAC. Ferguson has led the Sagehens to the SCIAC Tournament (top four teams) numerous times.
With 25 years of head coaching experience at Division I and III institutions and 28 years coaching college softball, Ferguson's coaching career began at the University of Virginia where she was an assistant coach from 1997 to 2000. There she earned her M.Ed. in Sport Psychology. Ferguson's head coaching career began at Kenyon College from 2000 to 2004. She was named the 2004 North Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. After Kenyon, she was the head softball coach at Division I, George Washington University from 2004 to 2006. She led the Colonials to a season-high 24 wins in 2006 and a respectable win over in-town ACC rival University of Maryland for the first time in program history. Since 2006, she has been the Head Softball Coach at Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and is a Professor of Physical Education.
As a player, Ferguson was a switch-hitting catcher and first baseman for Shippensburg University from 1992-1996. She graduated from Shippensburg in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a minor in coaching. In addition to her coaching duties, Ferguson is also a Certified Sports Life Coach and a Certified Champ10n Wellbeing Coach. She has presented at numerous clinics, workshops, and podcasts on topics such as wellbeing, coaching, and work-life balance. She also holds several professional service positions and affiliations, including Chief Wellbeing Officer. Ferguson has been an active member of WeCOACH and the National Fastpitch Coach’s Association (25 years.)
Ferguson has also been heavily involved in college service at Pomona College, serving on numerous committees and task forces. She has also taught a wide variety of physical education courses at Pomona, including aerobic fitness, beginning tennis, jogging, weight training, fitness & wellness, playground games and plogging.
