CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard softball bolsters its coaching staff with two additions, as the Crimson continue its preparation for the 2026 season. Amelia Varela joins Harvard as a new assistant coach, while Sara St. Don will serve as the Crimson's operations coordinator.

Varela arrives to Harvard after spending the 2024 and 2025 seasons with Florida International as an assistant coach and director of operations. A native of Miami, Florida, Varela played a key role in the both the Panther's day-to-day operations and the program's success on the diamond. After posting as 21-29 record in 2024, Varela assisted in a turnaround 2025 campaign that saw FIU post a 29-22-1 record, its highest win total since the 2018 season.

Within the FIU coaching staff, Varela played a key role in student-athlete development and opponent scouting, working with her fellow coaches in film analysis to identify improvement areas and strategic training areas. Off the field, Varela developed fundraising partnerships with local youth leagues to foster community engagement.

Prior to her coaching stint with FIU, Varela was a member of the Panthers' softball program from 2021-2023. Alongside her playing career as a student-athlete, Varela jumpstarted her coaching career as a head coach of the Florida Power Softball Organization, working with her assistant coaches to produce a positive and supportive environment for youth athletes. Varela graduated from FIU with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in business administration.

St. Don returns to Harvard to serve as the operations coordinator, as she held the position of operations assistant from 2018-2019 and 2021-2022 and provides the Crimson with a wealth of experience in several different roles within a coaching staff. During her initial stints in Cambridge, St. Don provided the Crimson coaching staff support in both administrative and recruiting efforts.

The 2022 season saw St. Don spend the year in Lewiston, Maine as Bates College interim head coach. St. Don led the Bobcats both on and off the team, as she was responsible for enchaining the student-athlete experience both athletically and academically through a focused leadership style.

After her lone season at Bates, St. Don worked at her alma mater, St. Michael's College, as an assistant coach for the 2024 season. The 2025 campaign saw St. Don take over as a new assistant coach at Bentley. With St. Don playing a key role within the coaching staff, Bentley found success on the field, as the Falcons finished with a 26-21 record and their first trip to the NCAA Division II East Regional since the 2023 season.

With the 2026 season on the horizon, Harvard softball will turn its attention to the fall season as it looks to compete for another Ivy League title next spring.

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