Geena Garabedian began as Academy of Art softball head coach in August 2023.
Garabedian's debut 2024 season saw the Urban Knights win their first Pacific West Conference series against Biola, close their Hawaii road trip on an triumphant note with a doubleheader sweep of Chaminade, see the emergence of a young pitching staff along the way, and ultimately celebrate a veteran quintet with a pair of victories over Dominican on Senior Day. The squad was led by
All-PacWest Third Team selections Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki and Alexis Folks who combined for 21 multi-hit games and ranked inside the Pacific West Conference's top 20 in runs scored. Other highlights included three Urban Knights ranking inside the PacWest's top 20 in earned run average including Kayla Vaughan who led all freshman pitchers with 95 strikeouts, four ART U student-athletes with
CSC Academic All-District Team selections, and 15 Knights making the
Academic All-PacWest Team as well.
A familiar face within the Pacific West Conference following her recent stint leading Holy Names softball, Garabedian brings over six years of coaching experience into her role at ART U. Beginning as a graduate assistant and assistant coach with HNU softball in 2018, Garabedian progressed to become the program’s head coach ahead of the 2021 campaign. The Hawks finished that season ranked second in the PacWest in batting average (.302) as well as third in slugging percentage (.409) then remained among the conference’s statistical leaders the following year, ending second in stolen bases (57) as well as third in batting average (.281), home runs (15), and runs batted in (155) with All-PacWest First Team honoree Lyndsey Widner shining with the conference’s highest slugging percentage (.629).
After Holy Names earned the first of what would be back-to-back Highest Team GPA Awards thanks to a collective 3.61 mark in 2022, the Hawks spent 2023 matching their highest conference win total in program history while adding the highest overall win total since 2016, achieving a victory over No. 9 Concordia along the way.
Garabedian previously served as an assistant coach for Washington Union High School during the 2018 spring season. Prior to her time with Washington Union, Garabedian coached multiple age groups for travel ball organizations in both Fresno and Oakland.
A former softball student-athlete herself, Garabedian competed at Buchanan High School then Reedley College where she was a regular starter, two-time First Team All-Conference, Female Athlete of the Year, and an Academic All-American. She would finish her softball career at Holy Names prior to earning her bachelor’s degree in Sport Biology then her master’s degree in Education.
Head Coach, ART U
2023 - present
| Year |
Overall (Pct.) |
PacWest (Place) |
| 2024 |
12-32 (.273) |
8-20 (7th) |
| Totals |
12-32 (.273) |
8-20 (.286) |
