Jon Ladino enters his first season as head coach of the Holy Cross softball team in 2025.
Ladino joins the Crusaders after three seasons as the head coach and Assistant Athletic Director for Business Operations at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. His .682 winning percentage ranks as the best all-time in program history, and he also recorded a conference winning percentage of .830. In his time with the Wildcats, Ladino’s team earned a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship and NCAA Regional berth while also totaling 40 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar-Athletes and averaging a team GPA of 3.73.
During Ladino’s time in Providence, a total of 45 student-athletes were named to the GNAC Academic All-Conference Team – 15 in each of his three seasons.
"I would like to thank Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Kit Hughes, Assistant Director of Athletics Chase Ferguson and the rest of the search committee for this incredible opportunity to lead Holy Cross softball,” Ladino said. “We will strive for excellence in all that we do both on and off the field, with our ultimate goal to build a strong culture focused on respect, team, competition and community. Throughout the interview process, it was evident that Holy Cross is a very special institution with an incredible community, and it is truly a privilege to be a part of Holy Cross and its athletic department. I am excited to get to work and lead an amazing group of young women who strive for excellence."
In 2024, the Wildcats won 22 games and were one of the final four teams remaining in the GNAC Tournament. Eight student-athletes received GNAC All-Conference honors, four of which – Hailey Erickson, Katie Scheid, Caroline Amorelli, and Mackenzie Clee – were honored by the NFCA.
In 2023, the Wildcats won 27 games and secured the top seed in the GNAC Tournament. Eight student-athletes earned all-conference accolades, including GNAC Rookie of the Year Mady Lyons – while both Erickson and Jill Pulek earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Team accolades.
In Ladino’s first season at the helm of the program in 2022, he guided the Wildcats to a 37-8 record (13-3 GNAC), their first GNAC Championship and a berth in the NCAA Regionals. The 2022 Wildcats set the program record for fewest losses during the regular season (six) and established program records for batting average (.398), runs (356), home runs (49), and RBI (323). Johnson & Wales also finished in the top three nationally in average, runs, hits, home runs, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
A total of eight student-athletes were named to the GNAC All-Conference Team in 2022, including Clee, who was tabbed GNAC Rookie of the Year. Six student-athletes later garnered NFCA All-Region honors, highlighted by Gamble, who also earned NFCA second team All-America honors.
Ladino is no stranger to Worcester, spending the prior four seasons as the head coach at Assumption College. The Greyhounds compiled a 61-53 mark during Ladino’s tenure (44-33 Northeast-10) and qualified for the postseason every year.
Ladino cut his teeth in collegiate coaching at Becker College in 2015, helping the Hawks post a 47-27 (30-6 NECC) record during his two years in Leicester and win the 2016 NECC Championship, the first in program history. He coached both the NECC Pitcher and Rookie of the Year while at Becker and saw seven student-athletes receive first team All-NECC honors and seven grab a spot on the NECC All-Academic team.
From there, Ladino moved on to Regis College, helping the Pride to a 16-13 record in his lone season in Weston in 2017. The program won a record 13 conference games behind six all-conference selections, highlighted by the NECC Pitcher of the Year, Madi McLellan.
During his time in collegiate coaching throughout New England, Ladino has also served as a Title III Academic Coach, Area Director and First-Year Experience Instructor. He graduated from Merrimack College in 2012 with a degree in business administration and later received a master's degree in higher education student administration from Salem State University in 2014.
