Nikki Gentile began in her role as Academy of Art University softball head coach in June 2020.
The Urban Knights' 2023 campaign focused on a "Brick By Brick" mentality with steady building every day as Academy of Art softball upset a nationally-ranked opponent, executed multiple doubleheader sweeps, achieved career milestones, and celebrated its seniors over the course of a 51-game journey. Highlighting the first week of the year was a
7-2 victory over eventual NCAA Division II Tournament qualifier No. 25 Sonoma State and twin bill sweeps thereafter came over
Menlo and
Holy Names. ART U would set a new program record with 14 triples during the year, led by six from new single-season and career record holder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki. She and Audrey Allen would be named to the
All-PacWest Third Team by the season's end and they would both be among the 12 Knights who earned
Academic All-PacWest Team selections.
Gentile's second season at the helm of ART U saw the Urban Knights able to play more than 50 games for the first time since 2018. The 2022 campaign was highlighted by dramatic late-inning victories including
two on the same day to start the Tournament of Champions, new program records such as
All-PacWest Second Team honoree Lauryn Henderson becoming the program's career leader in home runs and walks, and a collection of eight Knights with
Academic All-PacWest honors.
In her debut season with Academy of Art softball, Gentile and the Urban Knights executed two separate five-game win streaks, contended for the Pacific West Conference Northern California Pod title, and achieved the program's highest slugging percentage (.451) to date and highest batting average (.303) since 2017. ART U finished a 2021 campaign shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a 15-13 overall record as three Knights accounted for six PacWest weekly awards, three were named to the
All-PacWest Team, infielder Haley Randall was voted
PacWest Freshman of the Year plus added multiple All-Region honors, and junior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson became the first student-athlete in program history to earn
NFCA All-American First Team honors along with All-Region and
All-PacWest First Team selections. A total of eight Knights collected
Academic All-PacWest honors as well.
After creating a strong all-around softball program at Solano Community College, Gentile brought more than seven years of coaching experience into her role at ART U.
Leading the Falcons’ most recent 2020 campaign while simultaneously working as the SCC Athletics Academic Mentor Program coordinator, Gentile had Solano ranked among the top 25 in the California Community College Athletic Association in batting average, run scored, doubles, home runs, and stolen bases. Prior to the cancellation of the remainder of the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team had just begun conference play, winning what would be the final two games by a combined 29-run margin.
In just her second year at the program’s helm, the Falcons were bestowed the department’s 2018-19 Athletic Director’s Award after winning the Bay Valley Conference Championship with an undefeated 14-0 conference record, achieving a 3.0 team GPA, successfully transferring seven student-athletes to four-year institutions, and volunteering extensively in the community. The team also collected five All-BVC First Team honors along with the BVC Pitcher of the Year Adriana Montuya.
After Solano went 11-0 in conference in her first season, Gentile was named BVC Coach of the Year in recognition of guiding the team to its first of what would be two consecutive Bay Valley Conference titles. Meanwhile, Gentile would also serve as SCC’s academic mentor for baseball, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s tennis.
Gentile started her coaching career with two years at the high school level before joining the coaching staff at Coe College, her alma mater. In 2015, she became an assistant coach at Northwest Missouri State University where she helped the then-ranked No. 16 Bearcats finish second in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association with the quickest season to 30 wins in program history.
A Bay Area native who grew up in Martinez and graduated from Alhambra High School, Gentile was a top 100 national recruit in 2010 who played three different positions at the University of Iowa. As a senior, she transferred to Coe College and finished her collegiate career by winning a conference championship, First Team All-Conference, and All-Region honors as well as leading the Iowa Athletic Conference in home runs and stolen bases.
Her grandfather, Jim Gentile, also known as “Diamond Jim,” was a former Major League Baseball first baseman who played nine years in the majors. Born and raised in San Francisco, he was a three-time American League All-Star and hit five grand slams, including two on consecutive pitches in one game, which set an American League record that stood until 1987 (Don Mattingly).
After earning her bachelor’s degree in Physical Education: Fitness Development from Coe College, Gentile completed her master’s degree in Athletic Administration and Sports Management while working as a coach, instructor, and college liaison for All American Softball School out of West Sacramento.
Head Coach, ART U
2020 - 2023
| Year |
Overall (Pct.) |
PacWest (Place) |
| 2023 |
10-41 (.196) |
6-24 (9th) |
| 2022 |
10-43 (.189) |
7-23 (8th) |
| 2021* |
15-13 (.536) |
14-10 (2nd NorCal) |
| Totals |
35-67 (.343) |
27-57 (.473) |
*Year shortened due to COVID-19
