Molloy College Women's Softball

Cassidy-Lyke, a 1986 graduate of Molloy College, returned to her alma mater as the Director of Athletics in January 2006. Since her appointment, Cassidy-Lyke has overseen unprecedented athletic and academic success, in addition to the adoption of mens and womens indoor and outdoor track and field as varsity sports. In the last five seasons, Molloy has landed itself on the proverbial map as the schools womens basketball, mens soccer and softball teams have won East Coast Conference titles, while the softball team captured an NCAA East Region crown in 2010. Cassidy-Lyke, a member of the Division II Athletic Directors Association, currently serves on the Board of Directors as the representative for the East Coast Conference. She is also the former President, Vice President and Secretary of the ECCs Athletic Director Council. In addition to her duties as Director of Athletics, Cassidy-Lyke, a native of Hicksville, N.Y., is in her twelfth year as Head Softball Coach at Molloy. During that stretch, her teams have made great leaps and bounds in the win column. Cassidy-Lyke currently stands with 340 career victories at the helm of the Molloy College softball program. Her record of 340-250-1 is good for a .576 winning percentage, which stands as the best in softball school history. Cassidy-Lyke's 2016 Lions squad went 35-24 and made yet another NCAA Tournament after winning three consecutive games to claim the East Coast Conference Postseason crown. Senior Tracey Balinskas became the program's all-time leader in doubles hit while Milan Botte earned herself an All-America Honorable Mention accolade from the Conference Commissioners' Association. Additionally, shortstop Brianna Dalton posted a 17-game hitting streak through the middle portion of the season in helping the Lions stay relevant in the teeth of a tough conference campaign. In 2013, Cassidy-Lyke led the Lions to a program record 53 wins. From 2009-12, she earned four consecutive ECC Coach of the Year awards, and has taken her squad to eight straight ECC Tournaments through 2016. The Lions' overall 53-14 record landed them in the NCAA Division II National Championship for the second time in four seasons. Moreover, Cassidy-Lyke helmed the 2013 team that won its third-straight East Coast Conference title. In 2012, the Lions finished with an overall record of 47-13, an ECC Championship, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II East Super-Regional. In 2011, Cassidy-Lyke guided the Lions to their first ECC title in program history, ending a 16-year drought. Before that, in 2010, Cassidy-Lyke and the Lions turned away all doubters as Molloy put together a then program-best record of 43-21, achieved a No. 10 national ranking in the NFCA Division II tally, and secured its first-ever NCAA Division II East Region Championship. In the process, the maroon and white made a trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series for the first time in program history. Her teams hold numerous program season records including: wins, winning percentage, consecutive wins, hits, runs batted in, doubles, home runs, total bases, walks, pitching wins, complete games, strikeouts, strikeouts-per-7 innings, earned run average, shutouts, lowest opponent batting average, saves, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors, as well as several game records. Cassidy-Lyke's players have received tremendous accolades under her tutelage. She has coached players who had garnered: an NFCA All-American selection, 11 NFCA All-East Region honors, 19 ECC All-Conference selections, 12 Daktronics All-East Region honors, three Daktronics All-American accolades, a Daktronics East Region Pitcher of the Year honor, two ECC Pitcher of the Year praises, two ECC and one ECAC Rookie of the Year accolades, and an ECC Player of the Year achievement. In addition, Cassidy-Lyke's student-athletes have earned numerous laurels in the classroom, including ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District distinctions, and All-American Scholar Athlete praise. Before returning to Rockville Centre, Cassidy-Lyke served as a coach for three different teams over a 15-year period at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville. Her greatest highlight came on the softball field as she recorded an impressive 287-85 mark with the Titans. In the process, she captured nine CHSAA titles and four New York State Championships. Plus, Cassidy-Lyke was a four-time selection as the Nassau/Suffolk CHSAA Coach of the Year, the Nassau County Female Coach of the Year in 1995, and Newsdays Nassau County Coach of the Year in 2003. Once she concluded her career at Holy Trinity in 2006, she was immediately placed into the school's Hall of Fame. Off the field, Cassidy-Lyke spent nine seasons as the Head Womens Volleyball Coach at C.W. Post. Cassidy-Lyke, who graduated from Molloy with a bachelors degree in Business Management, currently resides in Hicksville with her husband, John, son, Jack, and dog, TJ. Susan Cassidy-Lyke Head Softball Coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke, a 1986 graduate of Molloy College, returned to her alma mater as the Director of Athletics in January 2006. Since her appointment, Cassidy-Lyke has overseen unprecedented athletic and academic success, in addition to the adoption of mens and womens indoor and outdoor track and field as varsity sports. In the last five seasons, Molloy has landed itself on the proverbial map as the schools womens basketball, mens soccer and softball teams have won East Coast Conference titles, while the softball team captured an NCAA East Region crown in 2010. Cassidy-Lyke, a member of the Division II Athletic Directors Association, currently serves on the Board of Directors as the representative for the East Coast Conference. She is also the former President, Vice President and Secretary of the ECCs Athletic Director Council. In addition to her duties as Director of Athletics, Cassidy-Lyke, a native of Hicksville, N.Y., is in her twelfth year as Head Softball Coach at Molloy. During that stretch, her teams have made great leaps and bounds in the win column. Cassidy-Lyke currently stands with 340 career victories at the helm of the Molloy College softball program. Her record of 340-250-1 is good for a .576 winning percentage, which stands as the best in softball school history. Cassidy-Lyke's 2016 Lions squad went 35-24 and made yet another NCAA Tournament after winning three consecutive games to claim the East Coast Conference Postseason crown. Senior Tracey Balinskas became the program's all-time leader in doubles hit while Milan Botte earned herself an All-America Honorable Mention accolade from the Conference Commissioners' Association. Additionally, shortstop Brianna Dalton posted a 17-game hitting streak through the middle portion of the season in helping the Lions stay relevant in the teeth of a tough conference campaign. In 2013, Cassidy-Lyke led the Lions to a program record 53 wins. From 2009-12, she earned four consecutive ECC Coach of the Year awards, and has taken her squad to eight straight ECC Tournaments through 2016. The Lions' overall 53-14 record landed them in the NCAA Division II National Championship for the second time in four seasons. Moreover, Cassidy-Lyke helmed the 2013 team that won its third-straight East Coast Conference title. In 2012, the Lions finished with an overall record of 47-13, an ECC Championship, and an appearance in the NCAA Division II East Super-Regional. In 2011, Cassidy-Lyke guided the Lions to their first ECC title in program history, ending a 16-year drought. Before that, in 2010, Cassidy-Lyke and the Lions turned away all doubters as Molloy put together a then program-best record of 43-21, achieved a No. 10 national ranking in the NFCA Division II tally, and secured its first-ever NCAA Division II East Region Championship. In the process, the maroon and white made a trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series for the first time in program history. Her teams hold numerous program season records including: wins, winning percentage, consecutive wins, hits, runs batted in, doubles, home runs, total bases, walks, pitching wins, complete games, strikeouts, strikeouts-per-7 innings, earned run average, shutouts, lowest opponent batting average, saves, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors, as well as several game records. Cassidy-Lyke's players have received tremendous accolades under her tutelage. She has coached players who had garnered: an NFCA All-American selection, 11 NFCA All-East Region honors, 19 ECC All-Conference selections, 12 Daktronics All-East Region honors, three Daktronics All-American accolades, a Daktronics East Region Pitcher of the Year honor, two ECC Pitcher of the Year praises, two ECC and one ECAC Rookie of the Year accolades, and an ECC Player of the Year achievement. In addition, Cassidy-Lyke's student-athletes have earned numerous laurels in the classroom, including ECC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District distinctions, and All-American Scholar Athlete praise. Before returning to Rockville Centre, Cassidy-Lyke served as a coach for three different teams over a 15-year period at Holy Trinity Diocesan High School in Hicksville. Her greatest highlight came on the softball field as she recorded an impressive 287-85 mark with the Titans. In the process, she captured nine CHSAA titles and four New York State Championships. Plus, Cassidy-Lyke was a four-time selection as the Nassau/Suffolk CHSAA Coach of the Year, the Nassau County Female Coach of the Year in 1995, and Newsdays Nassau County Coach of the Year in 2003. Once she concluded her career at Holy Trinity in 2006, she was immediately placed into the school's Hall of Fame. Off the field, Cassidy-Lyke spent nine seasons as the Head Womens Volleyball Coach at C.W. Post. Cassidy-Lyke, who graduated from Molloy with a bachelors degree in Business Management, currently resides in Hicksville with her husband, John, son, Jack, and dog, TJ.

Hughes was hired as the inaugural sprint football coach ahead of the 2024 season. He comes to Molloy after a coaching career that spans over four decades, primarily at LIU Post.  Serving as the offensive coordinator with the Pioneers, LIU consistently had one of the most proficient offenses in the NCAA, consistently falling within the top-10 in yards per game, third down efficiency, and total offense.  Under his tutelage, six student-athletes earned All-American status with countless being named to All-Conference teams in both the Northeast-10 Conference, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and Eastern College Athletic Conference.  In 2005, the Pioneers competed in the NCAA Division II Championship Quarterfinal for the first time in program-history after setting a record 552 points, 3,509 rushing yards, 6,731 total offense and 77 touchdowns. For his part, Hughes was named the Division II Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association.  Prior to LIU, Hughes spent three seasons at U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, serving as the Mariners' linebackers, special teams, and strength and conditioning coach. The team won a pair of ECAC titles.  Hughes also spent nine years coaching high school at Chaminade and Kellenberg in New York and State College Area in Pennsylvania and spent seven years as a high school science teacher. Hughes has served as the Associate Director for for Business Operations at LIU Post and is a 1988 graduate of Hofstra University, earning a bachelor's degree in geology. He then received a master's in earth science in 1994 from LIU Post, where he served as an adjunct professor in the Earth and environmental science department.

Russo was named the Head Softball Coach ahead of the 2026 season. Dayna Russo (White) joined the softball coaching staff as an assistant in June of 2014 following a standout four-year playing career with the Lions. Since her hiring, Molloy has won an ECC and NCAA East Regional Championship and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. In her role, she closely works with the team's pitching staff. Russo racked up numerous awards and recognition over her four-year tenure in Rockville Centre. She was part of four teams that reached the East Coast Conference Championship tournament, winning three conference championships, as well as the 2013 squad that went to the College World Series, and two squads that advanced to the NCAA Division II East Super Regional.  In her senior year, Russo was named to the All-ECC First Team and the NFCA All-East Region Second Team. She ranked third on the Lions with a .371 batting average and second in home runs (11), while her 56 RBIs topped the club. Russo ranked 12th in the ECC for batting average, finished tied for ninth in homers and ranked third in RBIs.  After her junior campaign where she averaged .349 with 68 hits, 13 doubles, six home runs, and 41 RBI, Russo was tabbed to the All-ECC Second Team Russo has always been a strong supporter and enthusiast for Molloy Athletics, helping to maintain and run the fitness center on campus and even serving as the men's basketball team manager for the 2013-14 season. Russo currently works as a counselor in Molloy's Student Personal Counseling Center after spending time as the Project Coordinator for the GLS SAMHSA Suicide Prevention Grant. To view Dayna's student-athlete bio page, please click here.

Russo was named the Associate Head Coach ahead of the 2026 season. She originally returned to Molloy as an assistant coach for the 2022 season, focusing on the development of the catchers. A four-year member of the Lions, Russo was a member of the 2016 East Coast Conference Championship and 2017 NCAA East Regional Championship squads. Appearing in over 200 games, she averaged .273 with 168 hits, 32 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, and 93 RBI. Arguably one of the best defensive catchers the program has seen, she recorded over 1000 putouts with a fielding percentage of .988. After graduating from Molloy with a Bachelor's degree in business management, Russo continued her education at St. John's University, earning a Masters of Sport Management. Professionally, she has worked in athletic event operations with St. John's and Long Island Universities, managing the game day operations, van fleets, equipment ordering, and game contracts.  She currently coaches with the Long Island Beast softball program as a head coach and trainer. Russo was also hired as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Operations in the summer of 2024.

Melendez joined the softball coaching staff as an assistant in 2020, concentrating on the Lions' hitting.  Previously, she was a four-year student-athlete with LIU Post, where she was a member of the 2018 East Coast Conference team and 2019 NCAA Division II East Region Championship team before graduating with a degree in childhood special education with a concentration in English. Melendez furthered her education at Molloy University, graduating with a master's degree in Education Technology.  Melendez is a member of the National Association of Special Education Teachers, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the National Science Teaching Association. She worked as a substitute teacher with Island Trees High School before becoming a special education teacher at McVey Elementary School.