Becca Carden, a former starting outfielder at Arkansas and assistant coach at Harvard, returns for her 11th season in 2025 with the Terriers after joining head coach Ashley Waters' staff in August 2015 as an assistant coach and being promoted to associate head coach in the summer of 2021. With her help, BU has claimed six Patriot League regular season titles along with seven automatic NCAA berths (2016, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25).Â
During the 2023 campaign, Carden helped BU retain NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors, as the Terriers posted a PL and school-record 52 wins, the most by a Northeast school since 2002. Highlighted by a 2-0 win over then-No. 12 Baylor, the Terriers also posted school and conference records in batting average (.327) and shutouts (24) while boasting a record breaking 28-game win streak. Nationally ranked for the first time since 1996 entering the NCAA tournament, the Terriers were one of three squads to have all eight nominated student-athletes claim NFCA All-Region and just one of two alongside UCLA to claim seven All-Region First Team accolades. Shortstop Kayla Roncin claimed the PL's first-ever NFCA All-America honor and BU's first since 2010.
In 2022, Carden was named along with Waters as the NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year after the Terriers reached 40 victories for the third time in program history with the help of a Patriot League record-breaking 27-game win streak and earned their fourth straight conference regular season title. BU was just one of four NCAA Division I teams to have all eight nominated student-athletes claim NFCA All-Region honors, thanks in part to a 13-0 record against New England schools and wins over the conference regular season champions from the Mountain West, Big East, Big West, CAA and NEC. As a team, BU finished the regular season sixth nationally in triples (0.40), 18th in doubles (81), 18th in shutouts (14), 20th in ERA (2.11), 27th in batting average (.310) and 33rd in fielding percentage (0.972).
In 2021, BU three-peated as conference tournament champions for the first time in program history while also three-peating as regular season champions while posting a 36-4 record for a program-record .900 winning percentage. With Carden's help, the outfield had a stellar year, as all three starters earned All-Conference honors. Jen Horita batted an impressive .452 to earn her first NFCA All-Region First Team award, while Lauren Keleher collected PL Rookie of the Year recognition. BU set a program record with a .320 batting average and finished the season No. 2 nationally with a 1.26 ERA. The Terriers earned their second-ever No. 3 seed at the NCAA regionals.
During a shortened 2020 campaign, BU opened with an 8-0 record for the first time in program history and later added notable wins against ACC member Virginia and Long Beach State. Under Carden's watch, outfielder Aliyah Huerta-Leipner was having a breakout season, posting 18 RBIs and 18 runs scored through just 22 games with the help of four homers.
The Terriers repeated as conference tournament champions for the fifth time ever in 2019 with the help of a program-record 10 All-Conference honorees. They Terriers posted a perfect home record for the second time ever, matching the 2001 squad's 18-0 home record.
The 2018 season was a historic one, as the Terriers collected 39 wins (third most in program history) and hosted its first conference tournament since 2012. They swept through the tourney with the help of two run-rule victories to return to the NCAAs for the second time in three years and sixth overall in a decade.Â
In her first season working primarily with the outfield, she helped the Terriers capture the PL title and automatic NCAA berth after being selected fourth in the conference's preseason poll. Finishing 28-24 (11-6 PL), BU batted an impressive .303 while recording a .970 fielding percentage.
In 2017, with Carden's assistance, Jilee Schanda increased her batting average by 40 points to .343 and also batted an impressive .436 during Patriot League play to claim the program's first conference Player of the Year honor since 2013. The Terriers finished PL action on a 14-game win streak and advanced to the conference tournament's championship round for the second consecutive season. Â
"I've had the pleasure of coaching beside Becca the past three seasons at Harvard, so this transition will be very smooth," said Waters at the time of Carden's arrival to BU. "We offset one another in many ways, which creates a great balance in the program. She offers incredible insight in developing the outfield and knows how to bring out the best in her players. Becca's energy and dedication make the people around her better. I am confident that her teachings will take our outfield to a new level."
Carden spent the previous three seasons at Harvard splitting duties as an assistant coach working primarily with the outfielders and as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. She posted a career .286 avg. with the Razorbacks and graduated in 2011 as a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree after batting .335 with six homers and 24 RBIs her senior season in the difficult SEC. Owning a master's in exercise physiology from Arkansas, she has also interned and worked as a coach at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning.
