FOUNDER

Marissa Young, Duke softball’s inaugural head coach since 2015, has transformed the program into a national powerhouse. Under her leadership, Duke has captured two ACC Championships, earned five NCAA Tournament appearances, advanced to three Super Regionals, and reached the program’s first-ever Women’s College World Series in 2024. A former three-time All-American pitcher at the University of Michigan and Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Year, Young’s career is defined by excellence, preparation, and competitive resolve.

What Young has accomplished off the field is equally remarkable. While building a startup collegiate program from the ground up, she raised four children who have gone on to become successful Division I college athletes. During this same period, she also served as a devoted, round-the-clock caregiver to her husband throughout a nine-month, life-threatening medical crisis and prolonged hospitalization. That crisis ultimately spanned more than three years, culminating in his becoming a heart and kidney transplant recipient, navigating multiple amputations, and adapting to life in a wheelchair.

Through unimaginable pressure and uncertainty, Young continued to lead with composure, empathy, and purpose—demonstrating an extraordinary capacity to care for others while executing at the highest professional level. Her journey reflects not only resilience but a deep commitment to people, process, and perseverance.

Young hopes to inspire others to pursue excellence and purpose, even in life’s most challenging moments—proving that leadership, strength, and compassion can coexist both on and off the field.