Salt Lake City, Utah – The Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) announced that Cindy Ball-Malone has been named head coach of the Utah Talons, replacing Howard Dobson.

Ball-Malone brings more than two decades of head coaching experience at the collegiate level and is currently the head coach at the University of Central Florida, where she will continue to serve in her existing role while leading the Talons.

“Cindy is one of the most respected coaches in the game and has a proven ability to develop elite talent and build successful programs,” said Utah Talons General Manager Lisa Fernandez. “We’re excited to welcome her to the Talons. At the same time, we want to thank Howard for everything he did to help establish this team and build a great culture that led us to the inaugural AUSL championship. He set a strong foundation that we’re looking forward to building on.”

Ball-Malone has led UCF since 2019 and previously served as head coach at Boise State, compiling nearly 400 career wins between the two programs. In her final season at Boise State, Ball-Malone guided the program to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. She has guided the Knights to five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, a program record, including their first-ever Super Regionals berth in 2022. She is widely respected for her ability to develop players at the highest levels of the game. Under her direction, UCF has been elevated into a consistent conference and national contender. Ball-Malone oversaw the transition of the team from the American Conference to the Big 12 Conference.

In addition, Ball-Malone has been actively involved with USA Softball, serving on staff with both the U.S. Women’s National Team and U-19 National Team. During her time with Team USA, she helped guide teams to multiple international titles, including gold medals at the World Games and World Cup, working with many of the top players in the sport.

As a player, Ball-Malone quickly became one of the best two-way players at the University of the Pacific. She helped lead the Tigers to three NCAA Tournaments. In 2014, she was inducted into Pacific’s Hall of Fame, and in 2023, she was inducted into the West Coast Conference (WCC) Hall of Honor.

“I’m honored to join the Utah Talons and be part of the AUSL,” said Ball-Malone. “This is an exciting time for professional softball, and I’m looking forward to working with such a talented group of athletes.”

The Talons enter the 2026 season as the defending AUSL champions and will open their home schedule on June 9 at Dumke Family Stadium against the Chicago Bandits. Tickets are on sale now.