Matt Alberghini was hired as assistant softball coach on June 17, 2024. He enters his third season on the Mountaineer staff in 2027. 

At App State, Alberghini plays a variety of roles, most notably as the recruiting coordinator and the defensive coordinator. Alberghini also manages all aspects of infield and outfield play with the Mountaineers as the defensive coordinator and helps provide the defensive scout for each game. 

The Mountaineers continued to improve in Alberghini's second season on staff, as they won 29 games, their most since 2022, and posted a winning season for the first time since that same season. The Mountaineers' tallied a .580 win percentage in 2026, which marked their highest since recording a .586 win percentage in 2021. App State also tallied two winning streaks of seven or more games for the first time in program history in 2026. 

App State's defense posted one of its best seasons in program history under Alberghini's tutelage, as they compiled a .960 fielding percentage, the fifth-best mark in program history, and committed just 48 errors. Outside of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, App State's 48 errors were the fewest it has committed in a single season in program history. The Mountaineers tallied 22 errorless games in 2026, which included three straight from Feb. 13-14. 

Alberghini once again saw two of his middle infielders garner All-Conference nods in Year 2, as Grace Barrett (second team) and Makayla McClain (first team) received the nod. McClain committed just seven errors on 164 chances in 2026, while Barrett tallied a career-best fielding percentage in her junior season. App State has seen three different players receive All-Sun Belt recognition in Alberghini's two seasons. 

The Mountaineers saw two players rank in the top 30 in the Sun Belt in fielding percentage in Leah Gore (.985) and Emilie Ching (.979). Gore, who played primarily in the outfield in 2025, transition back to her natural position of catcher in 2026 and committed just three errors, while Ching, who came to Boone as a third-baseman, made the transition to first base with ease, committing just four errors on 189 chances. 

In Year 1 on the softball staff, Alberghini helped lead a turnaround that saw the Mountaineers win 23 games, 13 of which came in Sun Belt play, and a berth in the Sun Belt Tournament for the first time since 2022. Alberghini played a crucial role in his first year at App State on the defensive front as App State posted a .957 fielding percentage, which was tied for the seventh-best in a season in program history. 

Primarily working with the infielders in 2025, Alberghini saw each of his middle infielders garner first-team all-conference recognition in Grace Barrett and Makayla McClain. McClain was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week three different times while Barrett posted career highs in home runs and RBIs. It was the first time in the Sun Belt era that two Mountaineers were named first-team All-Sun Belt. 

App State posted 18 errorless games in 2025, which included an error-free series at James Madison to help secure a series sweep and a blemishless series vs. Georgia State in a sweep. In Sun Belt Conference play, App State held a .971 fielding percentage, which was the fourth-best in the league. App State's 19 errors in conference play were the third-fewest. 

Alberghini also assists with the offense and helped turn the Mountaineers into one of the best slugging teams in the conference in 2025. App State set single-season program records in home runs, doubles, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, while also finishing in the top-five in runs scored, triples and batting average. 
 
Alberghini came to Boone from UT Arlington, where he spent two years as the Mavericks’ assistant coach alongside head coach Peejay Brun. He played a significant role in recruiting for UTA while also serving as the primary defensive coach, working with the infielders and outfielders.
 
He was crucial in the development of the Maverick softball program, overseeing its player development technology, which included DartFish, FlightScope and Blast Motion.
 
“Having the opportunity align on both ends to bring Matt on staff is special,” Jones said. “I’ve seen firsthand the passion and love he has for bringing out the best in players and doing it at the highest level. His collegiate coaching experiences have included development in just about every area of the game, including hitting, infield, outfield and catching, which will be huge for our program.”
 
“Having built great connections at all his stops along his coaching journey, Matt will play a key role in the recruiting space and identifying talent. We’re excited to have him, and we’re ready to hit the ground running.”
 
At UTA, Alberghini helped lead the Mavericks to 39 wins in his two seasons, which included a win over No. 15 Louisiana in 2021 and a win over No. 11 Oklahoma State, which made the Women’s College World Series in five straight seasons from 2019-2024. He was instrumental in the development of KJ Murphy, who was named to the All-Sun Belt first team in 2021 and boasted top-five marks in batting average, on-base percentage, hits and OPS that year.
 
“I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve the App State softball program,” Alberghini said. “Under the direction of Coach Whit, there is no mountain too high for the Mountaineers. I look forward to the challenge of coming in as part of a new staff and the process associated with championship-caliber softball.”
 
“I’d like to send a special thank you to Coach Whit and the entire App State athletic administration for the opportunity. I’d also like to thank my wife, Bailey, for her unwavering support in living out my passion as a coach.”
 
Before his time at UTA, Alberghini spent a year at Boston College as a volunteer assistant coach. There, he served as the hitting coach and was also involved in recruiting and coordinating Boston College’s softball camps.
 
The Chesapeake, Va., native coached in the Women’s College World Series in 2019 when he served as a member of the Washington coaching staff, where he and Jones both worked under Heather Tarr. Alberghini was a graduate assistant with the Huskies and was a part of 52 wins in 2019 and a Pac-12 Conference championship. At Washington, he oversaw practice and game day preparation and assisted in statistical analysis.
 
His extensive coaching career started at Pittsburgh in 2018, as he was named a volunteer assistant coach under ACC Coach of the Year Holly Aprile. His work with the Panther hitters helped the team improve in all major offensive categories, while his work with catcher Georgiana Zeremenko helped her earn All-ACC honors in 2019.
 
In addition to his work at the collegiate level, Alberghini has worked with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the Cape Cod Baseball League and served as the head student manager for Sun Belt foe Coastal Carolina.
 
Alberghini is a 2017 graduate of Coastal Carolina, earning his degree in recreation and sport management. He earned his master’s degree from Washington in 2019.