UC Riverside

NFCA Hall of Famer and former NFCA President Cindy Bristow joined UC Riverside Softball as the program's pitching coach in September of 2018. Bristow enters her seventh season on staff in 2025. 

UC Riverside has had three All-Big West pitchers and eight Big West Pitchers of the Week during Bristow's time in Riverside. 

Bristow's pitching guidance has seen numerous benchmarks set within the Highlander program, most recently in 2023 with Brooke Perez becoming the first UCR freshman pitcher with 10 wins in a season since Stephanie Marshall in 2006. Additionally, Maddie Heinlin that year became the eighth pitcher in program’s D1 history to record 100 strikeouts in a season - the second straight year it’d been done.

Chrys Hildebrand did so a year prior in 2022 while breaking the program's Division I single-season strikeout record, also earning two Big West Pitcher of the Week honors and becoming the fastest Highlander in the program's Division I history to reach 100 strikeouts in a season (16 games).

One of the most decorated coaches in the game, Bristow's arrival to the Inland Empire came after UCR enjoyed its most successful season to date, making its first ever postseason appearance and winning the NISC Regional Championship before ultimately finishing as runner-up.

Bristow has brought 30-plus years of experience in the sport upon her arrival. She has played, coached and managed at the collegiate and professional level, has led several different Olympic National teams and has been involved in every aspect of the sport over the past three decades. Bristow's lifelong commitment and success was rewarded with an NFCA Hall of Fame induction in 2001.

Bristow began her coaching career as an assistant at Arizona State (1980-81) and later went on to hold head coaching positions at New Mexico State (1984) and Wichita State (1985-86).

At Arizona State, Bristow helped lead the Sun Devils to back-to-back 30-win seasons and NCAA Regionals. Following two years at ASU, she earned her first head coaching job at New Mexico State and soon after spent two years at the helm of Wichita State, where she oversaw the program's first no-hitter in 1985.

In the professional ranks, Bristow served as the head coach of Florida Wahoos of the Women's Professional Softball League, leading the Wahoos to the 2000 WPSL title while being named WPSL Coach of the Year.

Bristow was the Director of Junior Olympic Softball for the Amateur Softball Association for seven years, where she oversaw all youth softball in the United States. While in this position, she was also co-creator of the ASA's VIP Coaches Education Program.

Once softball became an Olympic sport in 1996, Bristow became the Director of National Teams and Coaching Development for USA Softball. As Director, Bristow helped guide the selection of the United States' inaugural Olympic Softball team that won a gold medal in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Bristow also worked for the International Softball Federation (ISF) as its Director of Development working with over 126 countries to increase their level of coaching and play.

A former pitcher, Bristow played her college ball at Cal Poly Pomona and professionally for the Santa Ana Lionettes.

Away from coaching and playing, Bristow has always found ways to contribute to the sport. She has authored and produced several instructional books and videos, organized hundreds of clinics, and serves as a color analyst for ESPN.