For the Boston University softball team, the 2025 season is a special one.
Not only do they stand undefeated at the top of the Patriot League standings as of April 3, they’re favorites to take the regular season title for a seventh year in a row, all while the leader and mentor that guided them to these results reaches a significant career milestone.
This season marks head coach Ashley Waters’ tenth at the helm of the program, a decade in which the Terriers have experienced an unforgettable streak of success.
“I think BU is a really special place and I’m grateful every year that I get to coach here,” Waters said. “When you’re in Division I athletics, you can have a career with some longevity or your career can be really short. It’s an honor to get to 10 years.”
Waters grew up playing softball in Amesbury, Massachusetts, just 40 miles north of Boston. After graduating high school, she found a place at the collegiate level, playing four years as an infielder at the University of Maine.
After graduating in spring 2009, Waters began working as an assistant coach at her alma mater while gaining experience coaching youth softball in a variety of positions around New England, both at the under-18 and collegiate levels.
She simultaneously coached while pursuing a semi-professional playing career with the Stratford Brakettes, winning four Women’s Major Softball national championships in her time there.
Waters returned to the Boston area after being hired as an assistant coach by Harvard University, and in 2016, she accepted her first head coaching job at BU.
“There’s been so many special moments,” Waters reflected. “The first time we were ranked in the top 25 and some of the championships have been incredibly special.”
This success came immediately for Waters, leading the team to the NCAA tournament in her inaugural season. Since then, the Terriers have captured six Patriot League regular season titles and reached the NCAA tournament as many times, setting numerous conference, team and individual records along the way.
She hasn’t built the Terriers’ success alone, however.
According to Waters, the team — and her own coaching journey — wouldn’t be where it is today without the help of the people around her. “I love working for [Athletics Director] Drew Marrochello,” she said. “He’s been an incredible mentor.”
Marrochello was responsible for hiring Waters ten years ago, at the time expressing how Waters was someone who “checked every box” in their search.
Waters praised her associate head coach, and wife, Becca Carden — who she has worked alongside her entire decade-long career at BU — for her unwavering support that’s driven both Waters and the team forward over the years.
“Becca has been with me from the start. Our idea was to build this together and make it incredible,” Waters said. “The support of the BU administration to allow that has been very cool, and I wouldn’t be successful without her.”
In return, Carden spoke highly of Waters’ leadership and coaching style while acknowledging her influence on Carden’s own journey. “Working with [Waters] is an unmatched experience,” Carden said.
The duo has been consistently recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as the Northeast Regional Coaching Staff of the Year since 2022, a testament to how they work together to elevate the product on and off the field.
Carden described Waters’ ability to bring stability and inspiration to the team, saying, “We are very different so we’ve been a good balance for each other. She’s not just on you for the bad, but she’ll let you know if you do something awesome. [She pushes the players] to be the best softball players and people they can be.”
Waters’ messages and motivation have been lauded by her team, many of her players crediting her with their growth on and off the field.
“She’s always pushing me to be better. She never lets me waver in that and always continues to push us,” said senior outfielder Tyesha Williams, who offered nothing but strong praise for her coach of the last four years.
“She tells us to leave the place better than you found it,” Williams added. “I’ve tried to embody that throughout my four years here.”
Fortunately for the Terriers, their coach isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the program will hopefully continue to thrive under a leader who consistently echoes that sentiment.
Waters, who in 2022 earned her master’s degree at the Wheelock School of Education, hopes BU will be her personal and professional home for the rest of her career.
“The best for all of us is yet to come,” Waters said. “I’ve stayed here so long because I don’t want to coach any other kids than the Boston University kids. I always wanted to leave this program better than I found it as it was my first head coaching job, and I hope it’s my last.”
Congratulations to Coach Ashley Waters on an incredible decade at BU! Your dedication and positive influence on the team and community are truly inspiring. Looking forward to seeing more amazing achievements!