ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Northwestern College has announced the hiring of Alyssa Moreno as its next head softball coach.
“We are excited to welcome Alyssa to the Northwestern College community,” Vice President for Athletics Tony Hoops said. “Over the past three weeks, the interest in our softball position was incredibly strong from many high-level coaches. Alyssa’s consistent passion for our softball program, the Northwestern community and our intentional Christian mission make her the ideal candidate to lead our program into the future.”
Moreno has enjoyed success in her young career as the head coach at the University of St. Francis (Ill.). In two seasons at the helm, she led the Fighting Saints to a 58-36 overall record and a 32-11 conference mark. Last season, the Saints defeated eventual NAIA national champion Madonna (Mich.) and NAIA World Series qualifier Cumberlands (Ky.) while finishing as runners-up in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) following a 38-16 campaign.
“Alyssa is a dynamic leader with a high ceiling as evidenced by the success she has already achieved as a young head coach,” Hoops added.
Under Moreno’s leadership, St. Francis produced 15 All-CCAC selections, the 2026 CCAC Freshman of the Year in Sarah Viar, and three CCAC Gold Glove winners. Her teams also excelled in the classroom, producing 16 CCAC All-Academic honorees, nine NAIA Scholar Athletes, seven CSC NAIA Academic All-District selections, 15 NFCA Academic All-Americans, and one NFCA Team Academic Award.
“It is an incredible blessing to join the Red Raider family,” Moreno said. “I am incredibly grateful and excited to join Northwestern College and begin this new era of Red Raider softball. I’d like to thank the administration for their trust in me and for the opportunity to lead such a respected program and continue a tradition of success.”
Prior to becoming head coach of St. Francis, Moreno developed through the program as a student-athlete and as a graduate assistant. In her first two seasons on the coaching staff, the Saints captured two CCAC regular season titles and a pair of NAIA tournament appearances. She assisted in the development of 15 all-conference picks, the CCAC Player and Pitcher of the Year, and an NAIA All-American. Moreno’s playing career saw her help her team to a 90-42 record, earn NAIA Scholar Athlete honors, and receive CCAC All-Academic accolades. Moreno represented the softball program on St. Francis’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) and was the SAAC president from 2020-22.
Originally from Valparaiso, Indiana, Moreno obtained a bachelor’s in health care management and a master’s in health administration from St. Francis.
