Kristan Mallet assumed a full-time role administrator role at Nichols College in 2022-23 as Senior Associate Director of Athletics, overseeing SWA and compliance.
The longtime softball coach completed her 10th and final season at the helm of the program in 2022 and leaves as the second-winningest coach in school history with 136. During her two-stints as head softball coach (2010-14; 2018-22), the Bison appeared in the playoffs seven times, highlighted by wins over Curry (3-1) and Gordon (1-0) in the 2018 playoffs that placed them amongst the last four teams remaining.
A total of 10 student-athletes garnered Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) All-Conference honors under Mallet’s guidance while another 28 received CCC Academic All-Conference accolades and received three National Softball Coaches Association (NSCA) All-Region honors. Her best season came in 2011, when the Bison went 23-17.
In her tenure with the field hockey program (2006-16), Mallet guided the Bison to the CCC Tournament in eight of her 11 seasons – including the 2009 title and the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Nichols hosted MIT in the first round on November 11, 2009, marking the first NCAA Championship event ever hosted at the College. Mallet also brought the Bison to the ECAC Semifinals in 2008 and stands as the winningest coach in program history.
From 2013-16, a total of 27 student-athletes were recognized on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III National Academic Squad. One of those student-athletes, Emily Widdison, was later named to the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America Division III Third Team and was inducted into the Nichols College Hall of Fame in 2019.
Mallet led the field hockey squad to a 13-8 mark and the CCC Championship game in 2012. Four of Mallet’s student-athletes earned CCC All-Conference honors while six earned academic all-conference honors. Additionally, Nichols received the Gladiator by SGI/NFHCA Division III National Academic Team award for the second-straight season, and seven student-athletes were named to 2012 Gladiator by SGI/NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad.
In just her second season at the helm of the field hockey program, Mallet guided the Bison to a 16-7 record in 2007, a season that featured 13 program records falling, including shutouts (8), goals (92), assists (64) and points (248). She guided Nichols to the CCC title game for the first time in over a decade, and to an appearance in the ECAC semifinals. In addition, Mallet coached the CCC Rookie of the Year and three All-CCC selections in 2008.
She followed with another record-breaking season in 2009 with the program’s second CCC Championship title and first NCAA appearance as the Bison set single-season records for wins (18), winning percentage (.818), and consecutive wins (13). She had three All-CCC selections, an ECAC All-Star and two NFHCA All-Region honorees on her 2009 squad.
Prior to coming to Nichols, Mallet served as the head field hockey and softball coach at Cathedral High School in Springfield, Mass., for five years. She guided the softball team to five consecutive Western Mass tournament appearances and to the 2001 Western Mass. title and a state runner-up finish. She was previously an assistant coach for field hockey, softball and women’s basketball at Elms College in Chicopee, Mass.
Mallet is a 1994 graduate of Springfield College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education. She currently resides in Dudley, Mass.
