LAKEWOOD, NJ (July 30, 2026) - Georgian Court Athletics and Director Dan Sempkowski is excited to welcome the next Head Coach of GCU Softball, Jake Salvatore.

Salvatore has more than a decade of coaching experience in the Garden State, both collegiately and with youth leagues. His last four years he's been in collegiate dugouts serving a variety of roles including hitting and catching coach. 

"Leading a collegiate softball program has always been the dream and I'm honored that dream is becoming a reality at Georgian Court University," said Salvatore. 

Salvatore has worked his way up the collegiate ranks in recent years. He started coaching collegiately spending two seasons at Montclair State working as a hitting and catching coach. He then moved on to his most recent spot, spending two seasons with CACC foe, Caldwell, working primarily with the catchers. In Salvatore's time with the Cougars, Caldwell posted a 53-45 record and went 28-12 in conference play. This past season, the Cougars finished the league schedule at 15-3, winning the regular season and advancing to the CACC Championship game as the No. 1 seed. The Cougars also qualified for the NCAA Division II East Regional in 2026 and earned the No. 4 seed. 

His coaching experience extends beyond college campuses. Salvatore has worked with the New Jersey Breakers organization, serving as Head Coach and Program Director. NJ Breakers is a fastpitch youth travel organization featuring teams from 10u-18u. In addition to developing the necessary skills for competitive fastpitch softball, NJ Breakers assists players throughout the college recruitment process, setting up players for success at the college level. 

Speaking about the newest Head Coach of Georgian Court Softball, GCU Director of Athletics, Dan Sempkowski, commented, "This is a great day for Georgian Court Softball and the direction of the program. Jake has excellent experience in New Jersey and in the CACC with a track record of success at the collegiate level and with youth fastpitch softball. We believe that Jake will continue to strengthen our ties to the local community through the connections he has made with more than a decade of time spent in New Jersey Softball, and grow the program outwardly to recruit at the national level. We are excited for the future of Georgian Court Softball and for Jake to join in on and continue a tradition of excellence within the program." 

This past year with the Cougars, Caldwell catchers played a big role in the pitching staff's 3.67 team ERA, second-best in the league. They were among the league leaders in strikeouts and were in the top half in fewest wild pitches and passed balls. Sophomore Emily Kurth was named to the All-CACC Second Team as a catcher after hitting .302 with 36 RBI in 49 games played. 

In addition to roles in coaching and athletics, Salvatore is no stranger to NJ public education, having served in a number of operational roles within the Carteret and South Amboy School Districts including security, attendance, and student support for more than a decade. 

"I want to thank the university and athletic department for their confidence in me", Salvatore continued. "I'm excited to get to work with our student-athletes and build a program that our players are proud to be a part of, our alumni are proud to support, and the entire Georgian Court community is proud to call its own. Go Lions!"

Salvatore has a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts from Thomas Edison State University. He is currently completing his Master's Degree in School Counseling at Saint Peter's University. Salvatore comes to Georgian Court along with his recently married wife, Rebecca. 

Salvatore has already started at Georgian Court. All matters regarding GCU Softball including scheduling and recruiting can go Jake Salvatore at jsalvatore@georgian.edu.