SF Giants' Alyssa Nakken on her Role as First Full-Time Female Coach in MLB

Major League Baseball’s first full-time female coach, Alyssa Nakken, was ready to talk baseball when she fielded questions from reporters at Oracle Park on Friday before the San Francisco Giants’ annual FanFest.

“I like what I'm doing and I like what I’m here for,” said Nakken, 29. “So if people want to talk about it, I'm ready to talk, as long as they don't make me late for the field.”

Nakken said she’s taking on her new role as assistant coach with a lot of responsibility and intention, but the past few weeks have certainly been overwhelming. She’s garnered media attention, including Twitter shoutouts from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

“Wonderful to hear that Alyssa Nakken has become the first woman coach in MLB herstory!" Pelosi wrote.

“Definitely a lot of ‘wow moments’ these past few weeks,” Nakken said.

The season doesn’t kick off until next week, but Giants manager Gabe Kapler addressed the expected boost in attention on game days with Nakken on the roster.

“One of the things we’ve seen clearly come through over the course of the last couple days is how equipped Alyssa is to deal with any situation in the club house and any situation outside of the club house,” Kapler said. “I have tremendous confidence that whether we’re on the road or we’re at home, she’s going to be excellent in that role.”

Nakken led a coaching retreat last week, embarking on a food tour in San Francisco’s Mission District, stopping at Myriad Gastropub and Tacolicious. They ended the retreat with a few rounds of Texas Hold’em in Oracle Park’s Gotham Club.

“It was a great way to get all the coaches together here at Oracle Park for the first time and be in a room together and get to know each other,” Nakken said.

Nakken, who has a master’s degree in sports management from the University of San Francisco, is no stranger to baseball or the Giants franchise. A former star softball player at Sacramento State, she interned for the Giants in 2014. She continued her role in the organization over the years, leading health and wellness programs for the team.

Nakken said she did not expect to get the job in the first place, but she’s not shying away from the role.

“I’ve always wanted to be a role model in everything I do,” Nakken said. “I was certainly a leader that led by example, and I took that into my whole life, no matter what I’m doing, I don’t think that's going to change.”