In her first season with the Green and Blue, Coach Clifford was primarily responsible for handling the defensive development. As the defensive coordinator, she led the most tested defensive crew in the ASUN with 1790 chances over the season, 201 more than the second most tested defense in the conference. Clifford led the most vaunted defensive catching crew in the conference, leading the conference in opponent stolen base percentage (.653) while allowing the fewest stolen bases (29). The Eagles also ranked third in double plays among ASUN schools.
Cat Clifford comes from Manhattan College after serving as the head coach from 2022-23 having served as interim head coach prior to 2022. She was with the Jaspers for eight seasons. During Clifford’s time with the Jaspers, five of her players won weekly conference honors in addition to four all-conference players and two all-region players.
In 2021, Clifford helped the program to second MAAC Championship in program history. Manhattan took two-of-three from Iona to win the teams' quarterfinal series, before defeating Fairfield, Marist and Canisius en route to the Jaspers' first conference crown since 1999.
Nicole Williams won all five games for the Green & White in the 2021 MAAC Softball Championship and earned Most Outstanding Performer honors. Williams also collected All-MAAC Second Team and NFCA First Team All-Region honors. Annie Moore was voted to the All-MAAC First Team, while also joining Victoria Alonso, Marika Deemer and Emma Kindblom on the MAAC All-Championship Team.
During her six seasons at Manhattan, the Jaspers have posted an impressive 141-118 (.544) overall record, including going 62-48 (.564) during MAAC play. In 2016, the Green & White won 30 games for the first time in 23 years, before winning a school-record matching 34 games in 2017.
She has helped oversee the development of 10 All-MAAC First Team selections, five All-MAAC Second Team honorees and seven MAAC All-Rookie Team recipients.
During her time in Riverdale, Williams was also tabbed as the 2017 MAAC Rookie of the Year and Lauren Pitney as the 2019 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.
A 2014 graduate of Mount St. Mary’s, she was a four-year starter at third base for the Mountaineers. Clifford graduated among the Mount St. Mary’s all-time leaders in home runs (fourth, 17), at-bats (sixth, 483), games played (seventh, 172), total bases (eighth, 192) and walks (eighth, 52). She was a Second Team All-Northeast Conference selection in 2013, when she hit .312 with eight home runs, including a long ball against No. 4 Florida, and 24 RBIs.
The Hopewell Junction, NY, native worked as an assistant with the Hudson Valley Express U12 travel team in the summer of 2014 before beginning her collegiate coaching career at Susquehanna University in 2015. She was a member of the Landmark Conference Coaching Staff of the Year that season, as the Crusaders went 31-7 and placed seven players on the all-conference team.
