UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State head softball coach Clarisa Crowell announced on Monday that Mysha Sataraka is heading to Happy Valley to join her staff as an assistant coach with the Nittany Lions.
"I am thrilled to announce the addition of Mysha to our coaching staff, and I would like to welcome her to our Penn State family!" Crowell said. "She had an incredible career as a player for both UCLA, and Team USA, and she knows what it takes to win at the highest level."
A former NFCA All-American and three-time All-Pac-12 selection as a player at UCLA, Sataraka comes to Penn State from Loyola Marymount where she has been an assistant coach for the past two seasons under head coach Tairia Flowers.
Crowell continued, "As a coach, Mysha has been an integral part of Coach Flowers' staff, and she helped lead the LMU program to a conference championship, and a NCAA Regional this past season. As a player and coach, she has been surrounded by some of the most elite coaches in our profession, and I know that she is going to be a great asset for our program.
"Most importantly, Mysha is a great person who is passionate, motivated, and hard-working. She is someone who genuinely cares about the holistic development of her student athletes, and I know that she will have a positive impact on our program. We are looking forward to her arrival this fall, We Are!"
Prior to coaching, Sataraka was a standout athlete at UCLA, where she led the Bruins to the College World Series in 2015 and 2016. Her senior season, Sataraka went .380 at the plate, while posting 15 home runs and 59 RBIs, which earned her NFCA All-America second team honors.
The infielder was also named All-Pac-12 First Team and NFCA All-West Region first team, totaling three Pac-12 recognitions and two NFCA All-West Region honors during her collegiate career.
"I believe Penn State softball is getting a great asset to their program," said UCLA head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez. "Mysha is a proven champion on and off the field. I am proud that she's giving back to the game as a coach. She understands what it takes to succeed, and more importantly, how to impact and influence student-athletes to get the most out of them."
Sataraka also brings national team experience with her to Penn State.
In the summer of 2013, Sataraka was a member of the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team under Coach Flowers. The team went on to earn a silver medal at the ISF Junior Women's World Championship.
She joined Flowers again in 2016 with the USA Softball Women's Elite Team at the World Cup of Softball XI.
After her collegiate career, Sataraka spent the four years as an assistant coach for Cal State Northridge before joining Flowers' LMU staff as an assistant coach in November 2020.
"I'd sincerely like to thank Mysha for all of her valuable contributions to our success over the past two seasons on the bluff," Flowers said. "She has played a vital role in our growth as a staff and program. I have no doubt that she'll do a great job in her transition."
Sataraka graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a degree in political science and is from Honolulu, HI.
"I am honored and grateful to be able to head to Happy Valley and join the Penn State Softball Program," said Sataraka. "I would like to personally thank Coach Crowell, Kristina Petersen and the administration for this amazing opportunity.
"As soon as I stepped onto campus, I felt a huge sense of pride, tradition, and passion here. Meeting some of the amazing support staff instantly made me feel welcomed as a part of the Nittany Lion family. I believe in Coach Crowell's vision of comprehensive excellence and her ability to empower strong female student-athletes that will be successful both on and off the field. I am beyond excited to meet the team and get to work. We Are!"
