SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – American International College Head Softball Coach Shalise Tolentino announced on Tuesday, February 17 that Matt Fletcher has been promoted to Associate Head Coach ahead of the 2026 season.

"Since joining our program as a part-time and volunteer assistant and transitioning into a full-time assistant coach, Matt has been an invaluable member of my coaching staff. He has been my right-hand man in helping establish the foundation for our success, consistently going above and beyond in every role he's taken on. This promotion to Associate Head Coach is well deserved and is a direct reflection of his dedication to this program," Tolentino said.

"I'd like to thank Director of Athletics Rob Kearney and Head Coach Shalise Tolentino for this incredible opportunity. It's truly an honor to be named Associate Head Coach of this storied program, a program I have helped to build the past 5 seasons alongside Coach Tolentino. I love this program, the progress we've made, and the track that we're on. The NE10 is one of the strongest DII conferences for softball and I look forward to helping bring AIC back to the top of it," Fletcher said.

Since joining the program in December 2021, Fletcher has been integral in all aspects of the program. In his time with the program, AIC has had nine Northeast 10 Conference All-Conference selections and five NE10 All-Rookie honorees, including a pair of 2025 First-Team All-Conference honorees in Destiny McGrath and Julia Krijgsman. The duo were the first First-Team honorees for the Yellow Jackets since Stephanie Belanger in 2013.

In his role, he helps to lead almost all aspects of the team, including working as the outfield and pitching coach for the squad and in recruiting. His work has helped land a number of star players for AIC, including four NE10 All-Rookie selections in the past two years in Nevaeh Trejo, Morgan Bemont, Brooklyn Cividanes, and Lauryn Ramalho. All four were regular starters in 2025 and project to be so again for the 2026 season.

The Yellow Jackets open the 2026 campaign in Florida with eight games in five days, beginning on March 7 against the University of Sioux Falls and Northwood University.