Janel Hayes, who recently served on the staff at nationally-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette, enters her second season as a UNCW softball assistant coach with the 2025 season.
In her first season at UNCW, the Seahawks continued to be among the top staffs in the CAA and in the country with aces Kara Hammock and Emily Winsead each tossing over 140 innings with a sub-2.00 ERA. Hammock was an All-CAA Second-Teamer and was named the CAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Performer while Winstead earned NFCA All-Region accolades and tossed the fifth no-hitter in UNCW history. The pair combined for every out of the Seahawks' 2024 CAA Tournament run at Boseman Field.
Hayes, who works primarily with Seahawk pitchers, helped the Ragin’ Cajuns to their fourth straight Sun Belt Conference championship and eighth all-time NCAA Super Regional vs. Washington last spring.
A pitcher for Kent State from 2014-17, Hayes helped the Golden Flashes to three Mid-American Conference Champions and an NCAA Regional as a senior in 2017. The Long Beach, Calif., native recorded a 3.20 career ERA and limited opponents to a lifetime .189 average during her collegiate career.
Following graduation, Hayes joined the staff at Bluffton as a graduate assistant before she was named an assistant coach at Akron prior to joining Louisiana last season.
“We are incredibly excited to add Janel Hayes to our coaching staff,” said Ashley Wade, UNCW’s second-year Head Coach. “Janel is no stranger to the NCAA postseason, as she has made Regional appearances as a student-athlete as well as a Super Regional appearance as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Lafayette.
“Janel’s background in biomechanics combined with her analytical mind and work ethic will help enhance our already successful pitching staff.”
In her season in Lafayette, Hayes was involved in multiple aspects of the program’s operations and player development. She helped identify staff deficiencies during film and bullpens and developed pre-game offensive scouting reports for the coaching staff.
“I am beyond excited to become a part of the Seahawk family,” said Hayes. “I look forward to continuing the momentum created by Coach Wade and staff from last year as she establishes an amazing team and culture. I’m also very eager to get started with the pitching staff and continue to elevate their standards of excellence.”
Hayes will inherit one of the most successful pitching staffs in the Coastal Athletic Association over the previous two seasons.
Headlined by All-CAA performers Kara Hammock and Emily Winstead, the Seahawks have produced a league-low 2.29 ERA and logged a league-high 570 strikeouts (over 120 more than the next closest team) dating back to the start of the 2022 campaign.
