Concordia University Irvine associate head coach Rose Imbriano has been head coach Crystal Rosenthal's top assistant for over a decade and has helped mold the Golden Eagles into a national softball power. As the team's primary pitching coach, Imbriano has guided the CUI hurlers to season records in strikeouts (445) and Team ERA (0.63) while consistently helping CUI perform at the top of the conference. She also helps coordinate CUI's defense which has become a strength of the team during the NCAA DII era. One of her most memorable moments was helping guide Concordia to the program's first NAIA National Championship to conclude the 2013 season. That historical Concordia softball team finished 52-3 overall and on an 18-game winning streak to secure the national title.
Imbriano was honored nationally as the DII Easton/NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in July of 2023. Under her guidance, the nationally-ranked Golden Eagles finished the 2013 season leading the entire nation with the lowest Team ERA (1.11) among all NCAA DII softball teams. Five different CUI pitchers shined in the circle routinely throughout the season, led by All-American & PacWest Pitcher of the Year Katlin Entrup and PacWest Newcomer of the Year Daniela Alvarez. The 2024 season also saw Entrup and fellow senior pitcher Cortney Koelmans dominate the PacWest Pitcher of the Week awards, with Koelmans emerging as a NFCA All-American, an All-Region pitcher by both the D2CCA and NFCA, while also being named PacWest Pitcher of the Year.
Together, Imbriano and Rosenthal have led CUI to more than 650 victories on the softball diamond. CUI has won five straight PacWest Conference titles (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024) and also finished in first place in the Southern California pod during the unorthodox 2021 season when the league split into three pods. That's six consecutive seasons leading Concordia to a first place finish in the DII era.
In 2022, CUI made history by putting together an incredible 36-game winning streak to start the season. That winning streak ranks as the ninth-longest of all-time in NCAA DII softball history. As part of their impressive run, Concordia went 5-0 at both the second Concordia Kickoff Classic and the Desert Stinger to emerge as tournament champions at both locations. The Eagles were also perched in the Top 2 of the NFCA DII rankings for six consecutive weeks, including reaching the No. 1 spot for the second time in the school's NCAA DII era. Four starting pitchers impressively finished with an earned run average of 1.60 or less, and CUI finished second out of all NCAA DII programs with a 1.34 team ERA. Katlin Entrup (17-5, 1.32 ERA, 111 strikeouts) was named D2CCA First Team All-Region and First Team All-PacWest, Erika Morris (11-2, 1.14 ERA) made First Team All-PacWest and Cortney Koelmans (9-0, 1.05 ERA) made Second Team All-PacWest.
In the 2020 season that was shortened due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Imbriano helped guide CUI's four starting pitchers to post a combined 1.56 ERA and 17 wins over the course of 22 games. All-American Callie Nunes was named PacWest Pitcher of the Week three times in a span of two months and new left-handed pitcher Rae Flores garnered PacWest Freshman of the Week honors. Along with sophomore standout Erika Morris and senior right-hander Jordan Quinn, all four pitchers impressively finished the abbreviated season with an earned run average of 2.13 or less.
In 2019, the Eagles repeated as PacWest Conference champions after sweeping a road doubleheader at Biola. CUI softball also earned its first-ever No.1 ranking since moving up to NCAA DII in the NFCA poll and was ranked in the top 15 the entire season. Imbriano helped coach All-American pitcher Callie Nunes to 33 victories which tied for the most among all DII pitchers that season. Nunes also tossed four no-hitters in 2018, including a memorable no-no on the road that clinched career win No. 500 for Rosenthal. The Modesto, Calif. native finished with a 1.34 ERA and was ranked in the top ten in the country with 266 strikeouts while holding opponents to a measly .153 batting average.
Imbriano helped Nunes take the PacWest Conference by storm in her freshman campaign during the 2017 season. That year, Nunes fired two no-hitters including one in her first start at the college level. The Eagles went on to win the PacWest for the first time in the softball program's history. Nunes was named PacWest Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in addition to earning NFCA All-American status and the honor of NFCA National Freshman of the Year.
In 2016, Imbriano tutored PacWest Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year Grayson Harvey, who ultimately became an All-Region honoree on the mound. Imbriano worked with All-PacWest selection BethAnn McCann who along with Harvey formed a solid 1-2 punch on the mound.
During CUI's second season in the PacWest, the Eagles finished 22-10 for a fourth place finish in the conference. Concordia had four All-PacWest selections and Ryann Ferguson was named PacWest Softball Scholar Athlete of the Year. She also received CoSIDA All-Region and All-American honors.
In 2013, she helped the program secure its first NAIA National Championship as the Green and Gold posted a 52-3 overall record. The 2013 Concordia pitching staff set school records in ERA (0.63) and strikeouts (445). That season the team went 16-0 in the GSAC, marking the first time CUI softball had gone undefeated in conference play.
In 2012, Imbriano guided a pair of All-GSAC pitchers in Katie Cotta and Courtney Young. Cotta was named GSAC pitcher of the year and an NFCA All-American. In 2013 she guided GSAC and NAIA Pitcher of the Year Katie Cotta. She had coached 11 All-Conference pitchers.
Prior to joining the Concordia coaching staff, Imbriano began her coaching career as head coach for Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana, where she led her team to back-to-back CIF titles in 1998 and 1999. Imbriano was 70-14 as a coach and was named CIF Coach of the Year in 1998. In addition, Imbriano served as co-head coach for the California Cruisers Club team from 2001-2009.
A four-year letter winner at the University of Oregon (1992-95), Imbriano played shortstop and first base, ending her career with 1,200 putouts and 111 assists against just 16 errors for a .988 career fielding percentage.
In her senior year, Imbriano started all 51 games and played 58 of 60 games in her junior year, where her team went 38-22 and advanced to the NCAA Regional at Fresno State.
After winning the Most Improved Oregon Duck Athlete in her freshman campaign, Imbriano earned team Defensive MVP honors as a senior. Imbriano was the career record-holder in sacrifices until 2004, and laid down a team-high 19 sac bunts as a junior.
Imbriano prepped at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana and earned All-Angelus League honors as a shortstop. Imbriano was named MDHS Scarlet Scroll Athlete of the Year in 1991.
Imbriano graduated from the University of Oregon in 1995 with a B.A. in journalism and later earned her MBA from Concordia in 2007.
