Joe DiPietro began his first year as the head coach of the SUNY New Paltz Softball program in the fall of 2025, ahead of the 2026 season.
DiPietro brings more than 20 years of experience to the Hawks, coaching at the NCAA Division I, II and now III levels as the head of collegiate softball programs. Throughout his career, he’s coached one NFCA All-American, seven all-region and 35 all-conference players, including an Atlantic-10 Softball Player of the Year.
He returned to the East Coast to helm the Hawks Softball program after four years as the head coach of Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. While with the Wildcats, the team earned a postseason berth three of his four seasons, earning an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021.
DiPietro spent a season as the assistant softball coach at Radford University in 2021 after leading the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas from 2017 to 2021 where he helped the Highlanders to the program’s best Division I finish in 2020. He also had an assistant coach stint at Drexel University after spending time as the head coach at both Hampton University and Temple University. During his seven seasons at Temple, DiPietro coached an NFCA All-American, led the team to a program record in wins in 2013, while also coaching his team to a NCAA Division I best 94 home runs in a single season.
DiPietro also coached professionally, serving as the Interim Head Coach of the Philadelphia Force, formally of the National Pro Fastpitch league, for a season from 2007 to 2008. He spent time as the USA Select Team head coach and in 2010, led the USA Select Team in an undefeated season at the Blacktown Cup Challenge in Sydney, Australia and most recently, led the USA Select Team to a tour in northern Italy in 2018.
DiPietro was inducted into the New Jersey Softball Hall of Fame in May 2014, a month after being inducted into the Camden Catholic High School Hall of Fame.
A native of Southern New Jersey, DiPietro graduated from Gloucester County College and Camden Catholic. He will return in close proximity to the area as the Hawks are set to join the New Jersey Athletic Conference ahead of the 2026-27 season.
