New York, NY – John Jay College of Criminal Justice Interim Director of Athletics Brandon Fieland has announced that Matt Pellowski has been named the head coach of the softball program. Pellowski moves into the head coaching role after serving as an assistant coach for the Bloodhounds' during the 2026 season in which the program captured its fourth straight City University of New York (CUNYAC) Athletic Conference championship.

"Matt has already been an important part of our softball program, and his contributions to our 2026 championship season gave us a firsthand look at his passion for our student-athletes and his commitment to building a successful program," said Fieland. "His experience in player development, recruiting, practice planning, and creating a culture built on accountability and preparation made him a natural fit for this position. We are excited to have Matt lead our softball program and look forward to seeing what he will accomplish with our student-athletes both on and off the field."

During his time on the John Jay coaching staff, Pellowski served as the Bloodhounds' hitting instructor, outfield coach and base coach. He developed hitting approaches and individual player development plans while designing drills focused on outfield fundamentals, communication, reads, routes and game situations. Pellowski also worked with the Bloodhounds on offensive execution, baserunning strategy and in-game adjustments while assisting with overall practice planning and player development.

"I am incredibly grateful and excited for the opportunity to lead the John Jay Bloodhounds Softball program as Head Coach," commented Pellowski. "The responsibility of coaching this group of talented student-athletes—and helping develop the strong, confident women and future leaders they are becoming—is not one I take lightly. From day one, the expectations will be high. We will have a team-first mentality, compete with confidence and purpose, play the game with intelligence, and represent John Jay with pride and respect both on and off the field. My goal is not simply to build a successful season, but to establish a culture capable of sustaining success for years to come. So many people have supported and believed in me throughout my coaching journey that it would be impossible to thank everyone individually, but there is one group I need to recognize: my 2024–25 NJ Batbusters team, a special group of young athletes who finished our time together with an impressive 76–20 record. Throughout that season, I constantly reminded them that how you conduct yourself matters, because someone is always watching. Their belief in me, and the way they embodied what I tried to instill in them, ultimately allowed my impact as a coach to be seen from afar—and helped open the door that led me here. Now it is time to begin building something equally special and significant at John Jay. I am proud to be a Bloodhound, honored to lead this program, and incredibly excited about what lies ahead."

In addition to his work at John Jay, Pellowski serves as the Director of Softball Operations for Launch by Gayla Athletics, where he leads training programs focused on player development, skill progression and overall athlete growth. His responsibilities include specialized instruction in hitting, fielding, throwing mechanics, softball IQ, and game strategy. 

Pellowski has also built an extensive résumé within the NJ Batbusters organization, where he currently serves as an assistant to the 16U National Team (2026-27 season). In 2024-25, as head coach of the 14U program, the team compiled a 76-20-1 record, won the New Jersey State Championship, and earned a USSSA Top 100 national ranking. In 2023-24, as part of the NJ Batbusters Restiano team, they also captured a NJ State Championship and held a record of 56-29-2.

Pellowski's coaching background includes his time with the Old Bridge Outlaws, where he served as a head coach and league secretary. He helped build a girls travel softball program for athletes ages 10 through 16 from the ground up, organizing teams and schedules and running clinics

A former multi-sport collegiate athlete, Pellowski competed in both basketball and baseball at Raritan Valley Community College. He served as a co-captain and earned Scholar-Athlete recognition in basketball while also competing as a third baseman and pitcher on the baseball team.

Pellowski earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2002 and previously served as an adjunct professor at the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema.