Karla Claudio Rivera returned to the University of South Florida as an assistant softball coach in 2022, rejoining the Bulls program where she previously starred as a two-way student-athlete. Working primarily with USF’s pitching staff, Claudio Rivera made an immediate impact in her first season on the coaching staff, helping guide a nationally elite unit. Under her mentorship, the Bulls’ pitching staff finished among the best in the country, ranking second nationally in shutouts, fourth in earned run average, and fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio. That season also culminated in a historic campaign for USF’s ace, who earned NFCA Division I Pitcher of the Year honors along with a fourth American Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year award.
As a player at USF from 2014–15 under head coach Ken Eriksen, Claudio Rivera was a standout both in the circle and at the plate. She appeared in 85 games, recording over 100 innings pitched with more than 100 strikeouts, while also providing power offensively and earning unanimous All-Conference First Team honors as a senior. Her collegiate career followed an exceptional junior college tenure at Santa Fe College, where she was an NJCAA First Team All-American and one of the most accomplished players in program history. Internationally, Claudio Rivera has represented Puerto Rico with distinction, earning medals at the Pan American Games and Central American and Caribbean Games. A former professional player in Europe and a 2023 Santa Fe College Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, she brings elite competitive experience, technical pitching knowledge, and deep ties to USF as she continues to develop the next generation of Bulls softball student-athletes.
