U.S. Olympian, former NPF player and head coach, and All-American Lauren Lappin was hired as Arizona Softball’s assistant coach in June of 2021.
Lappin was the head coach for the Chicago Bandits for two years and an assistant coach for University of Missouri - St. Louis softball for five years before joining the Arizona staff in the summer of 2021.
In her four seasons as an assistant at Arizona, the Wildcats have posted fielding percentages of .965 (2022), .985 (2023),.980 (2024), and .975 (2025). Arizona’s fielding percentages in 2023 and 2024 rank in the top four in program history with the 2023 team recording the best fielding percentage in Arizona Softball history. Lappin has coached back-to-back Pac-12 Defensive Players of the Year in Allie Skaggs (2023) and Tayler Biehl (2024) and has guided three straight Wildcats to Gold Glove status: Allie Skaggs (2023), Dakota Kennedy (2024), and Devyn Netz (2025).
Arizona’s defense led its conference in fielding percentage (.975) for the third straight season under the guidance of Lappin following the 2025 season. Lappin helped guide Devyn Netz to the Rawlings Gold Glove award after Netz recorded a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at pitcher during the regular season. Arizona placed two – Dakota Kennedy and Netz – on the Big 12 All-Defensive team in the program’s first season in the conference.
In the 2024 season, Arizona’s .980 fielding percentage led the Pac-12 and ranked third in the nation under Lappin’s guidance. Arizona led the conference with four Wildcats on the Pac-12 All-Defensive team – Tayler Biehl, Dakota Kennedy, Carlie Scupin, and Regan Shockey – and was home to the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Tayler Biehl, for the second straight season. Lappin also coached Arizona’s second straight Gold Glove winner with Dakota Kennedy earning the award after finishing the season with a perfect fielding percentage in left field and leading Arizona’s outfield with 111 assists.
As the defensive coach, Lappin coached the 2023 team to the best fielding percentage by an Arizona team in program history and second-best fielding percentage in the NCAA in the season (20 errors in 1338 chances). She helped second baseman Allie Skaggs earn the Rawlings Gold Glove and Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after Skaggs committed zero errors in 168 chances in 2023. Skaggs became the first second baseman in program history to have a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Lappin has an outstanding softball resume, including playing at Stanford, NPF experience, and being a member of Team USA. Lappin also has eight years of coaching experience in the NCAA, the NPF, and with Athletes Unlimited.
Collegiately, Lappin played at Stanford from 2003-06 and proved to be a force on the softball field at catcher and at shortstop. In the Stanford record books, Lappin remains eighth all-time in batting average (.337) and hits (247), sixth in runs scored (168), seventh in stolen bases (31), third in assists (511), and tenth in triples (8).
In her four years at Stanford, Lappin was a two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006 and received second- and third-team NFCA All-America honors in 2004 and 2005. Lappin was also named first-team All-Pac-10 in 2004, second-team All-Pac-12 in 2003, and second-team All-Pacific Region in 2006. In 2004, Lappin was a WCWS All-Tournament Team selection as a sophomore.
As an Olympian in 2008, Lappin was a silver medalist with Team USA, led by former head coach Mike Candrea and teammates with Arizona greats: head coach Caitlin Lowe, Jennie Finch, and Lovie Jung. Lappin played with Team USA from 2004-2012 and is a three-time World Cup Champion and a Pan American gold medalist. Following her years playing on Team USA, Lappin went on to serve as assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2012.
During her NPF career, Lappin played with the USSSA Pride and the Pennsylvania Rebellion. Lappin and Lowe were teammates on the 2010 USSSA Pride Cowles Cup championship team, and Lappin helped the Pride to another Cowles Cups championship in 2013. She also earned All-NPF honors as a second baseman with the Rebellion in 2014. After playing in the NPF for five years, Lappin announced her retirement in 2015 and helped build the softball program at Chicago’s Roosevelt University, where she coached for four years.
Most recently, Lappin served as an assistant coach with UMSL, the head coach for the Chicago Bandits, and a facilitator for Athletes Unlimited. Lappin spent five years as the assistant coach at UMSL, helping the Tritons to a 162-116 record. With Lappin on the staff, the Tritons had three trips to the NCAA tournament and two GLVC tournament championships.
As the head coach of the Chicago Bandits, Lappin led the team to the title of NPF 2019 Regular Season Champions and was awarded NPF Coaching Staff of the Year in 2019 with fellow coaches Amber Flores and Lance McMahon. With Athletes Unlimited, Lappin acted as a facilitator to act as a mentor and support the athletes and captains.
