Chelsea Spencer

Chelsea Spencer, who won an NCAA title during an All-American career at Cal before embarking on a coaching career, agreed to become the next softball head coach for the Golden Bears on May 20, 2020.

Entering her third season with the Golden Bears in 2023, Spencer is coming off a 28-27-1 campaign in 2022 which included series wins over No. 7 Washington, No. 24 Stanford and No. 25 Arizona. Cal's offense put up program Top-10 marks with 57 home runs (third-best in history) and a .291 team batting average (seventh-best in history) under the tutelage of Spencer.

As a shortstop, Spencer was part of four straight Women's College World Series teams with the Golden Bears, including the 2002 NCAA championship squad. She returns to Cal after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Texas and the 2013-18 seasons at Oregon.

Spencer was born in Oakland and attended Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo. Since earning her Cal degree in American studies in 2006, she has remained entrenched in softball as both a player and a coach. She played professional softball through 2010, while her coaching career began at Chabot College in 2007. She moved to the Division I ranks in 2011 as an assistant at Michigan State before her stints at Oregon and Texas.

While at Texas in 2019, Spencer helped the Longhorns to a final No. 9 national ranking from Softball America, as the team reached the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2013. Her efforts helped produce five All Big-12 honorees, three all-region selections and two NFCA All-Americans.

During Spencer's time at Oregon, the Ducks produced five 50-win campaigns, five regular-season conference championships and four appearances in the WCWS. In addition, the Oregon coaching staff won the 2016 Pac-12 Coaching Staff of the Year award. Spencer mentored 17 All-Americans, four Academic All-Americans and a Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Before heading to Eugene, Spencer completed two seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan State, guiding Spartans shortstop Lindsey Hansen to All-America honors in 2011.

At Chabot, Spencer was tabbed the Coast Conference North Division Coach of the Year in 2009, and eight of her players transferred to upper division programs.

While donning the Blue and Gold, Spencer started 277 consecutive games at shortstop. In addition to being on the 2002 national championship team, she was also part of two consecutive national runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2004, as well as the 2005 Pac-10 championship squad. Spencer was named to the WCWS All-Tournament team twice (2002, 2003) and an NFCA All-American as a junior when she batted .326 with eight home runs and 17 stolen bases.

Highlighting an impressive professional playing career from 2005-10, Spencer was a four-time All-National Pro Fastpitch selection. She was part of the 2009 league champion Rockford Thunder squad and served as team captain for the Philadelphia Force in 2007.