San Francisco Giants Hire Former Softball Player Alyssa Nakken

The San Francisco Giants have hired former softball player Alyssa Nakken as an assistant coach.

The landmark decision makes Nakken the first full-time female coach in MLB history. The organization's hiring of Mark Hallberg as an assistant coach has also been announced.

Nakken, who played college softball at Sacramento State, has been with San Francisco's organization since 2014 when she joined as an intern in the baseball operations department. The 29-year-old's recent role with the team focused on the Giants' health and wellness initiatives.

At Sacramento State, Nakken was a three-time All-Conference honoree at first base as well as her conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2012.

"Alyssa and Mark are highly respected members of the organization and I'm delighted that they will now focus their talents on helping to build a winning culture in the clubhouse," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said in a press release. "In every organization, environment affects performance, and baseball clubhouses are no different. That's why in addition to assisting the rest of the coaching staff on the field, Mark and Alyssa will focus on fostering a clubhouse culture that promotes high performance through, among other attributes, a deep sense of collaboration and team."

Nakken holds a bachelor's degree from Sacramento State and a master's degree from the University of San Francisco.

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