Florida Gulf Coast University Women's Softball

Currently in his tenth campaign leading the Green and Blue, Rollins brought over a decade of coaching experience at the club, high school and collegiate levels with him as he became the second head coach in program history. A standout collegiate athlete in his own right, Rollins was a nine-time NCAA All-American and national champion as a member of the University of Arizona swimming & diving team from 2002-06. In 2017, he was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. In his ninth season leading FGCU, Rollins guided the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the ASUN Championships, where the Green and Blue placed in the top three in 13 of 15 events. The relay team of Izzy Ackley, Cassandra Bauer, Libby Russum, and Mia Burke highlighted the meet with a victory in the 200 Medley Relay, while Ackley added a win in the 100 Back with an NCAA B-cut time. Ackley went on to capture two national titles at the CSCAA National Invitational Championships, setting a school record in the 50 Fly along with meet records in the 50 Back and 100 Back. Bauer also set a new program record in the 100 IM at the event. Overall, FGCU swimmers produced 10 finals appearances and five new top-10 times, including two school records and two meet records. The 2023-24 campaign saw continued Eagles success under Rollins leadership. FGCU swimming and diving saw every relay on the podium at the ASUN Championships and every diver make the finals. The Green and Blue were one of only two teams to have every relay make the podium. Jasmin Kroll won a medal in every event she competed in while winning the 200 free and setting the program and championship record in the event. In his seventh season at the helm of the FGCU Swimming and Diving program, the Eagles strong finishes continued with Reese Wakefield posting the top prelims scores on both the 1 and 3 meter boards before earning silver in both events. Three medals were won by Green and Blue swimmers with Cam Kuriger winning the 200 fly and placing second in the 100 fly and the 200 medley relay team of Lucija Sulenta, Jenna Gwinn, Cam Kuriger, and Hailey Jerew placing third. In 2021-22, Rollins led the Eagles to another succesful season, leading the Green and Blue to a second-place finish at the CCSA Championships. He also coached numerous successful individuals as Wiktoria Czarncecka was named CCSA Swimmer of the Year while also being named Co-Swimmer of the Championships along with teammate Petra Halmai. At the CCSA Championships, the Eagles took home nine gold medals, including four relay gold medals. In his fifth season with the Eagles in 2020-21, he led the program to its 10th CCSA Championship. Senior Petra Halmai was named the Swimmer of the Meet after sweeping the 100y and 200y breaststroke as well as the 200y IM. Halmai also led the Eagles to a win in the 200y medley relay along with Claire McAtee, Julia Rodriguez, and Tori Czarnecka. The 200y free relay team of Czarnecka, McAtee, Kaja Reinhardt, and Zuzu Rabiniak also took home the title. Under the tutelage of Rollins, Halmai enjoyed an incredible 2020-21 season as she was named CCSA Swimmer of the Year for the second-straight season and qualifying for the NCAA Championships. At the NCAAs, she picked up six points across three events (100y and 200y breaststroke, 200y IM) securing a 32nd-place finish for the Eagles - finishing ahead of the likes of Power 5 institutions Florida State, Auburn, UCLA, Iowa, Penn State, and Duke. In the process, she became the first Eagle since 2016 to qualify for an NCAA individual final, doing so in the 200y breast. Her 11th place finish in the B Final set new FGCU and CCSA records and earned her an Honorable Mention All-America selection. Halmai also became the sixth Eagle, and first under Rollins, in program history to swim in the Olympics as she represented Hungary in the 4x100 mixed medley relay in Tokyo, setting a national record in the process. Rollins has also continued the tradition of academic success for the Eagle Swimming & Diving program as they received Scholar All-America Team accolades from the CSCAA for the 21st consecutive semester in the Spring of 2021. The fall GPA of 3.66 and the spring GPA of 3.60 are the two highest in program history, as is the team's record cumulative 3.55 GPA at the conclusion of the Spring, 2021 term. At the end of Rollins' fourth season with the Green and Blue, the team captured second place at the 2020 CCSA Championships. Reese Wakefield collected Diver of the Meet honors, marking the second-consecutive year that the Eagles took home the accolade. Numerous members of the team collected individual first-place finishes, most notably of which was Petra Halmai's record-shattering performance in the 200-yard breaststroke. Her time, which was four seconds off the previous mark, earned her an automatic bid to the 2020 NCAA Championships and checked in at 10th among the nation, the highest ranking any FGCU swimmer had achieved heading into the postseason. Though Halmai was unable to compete at the national meet - it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 national emergency - the Eagles were represented in the postseason by a pair of freshman divers, as both Wakefield and Delaney Nelson competed at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships.  In his third season at the helm, FGCU capped off the 2018-19 campaign with a 6-8 record along with a 2-1 mark in the CCSA as the Eagles placed second overall at the CCSA Championships. The Green and Blue racked up the second-most points in program history (1,668) as Gracie Redding was named the Most Outstanding Female Swimmer of the Meet for a second straight season. She captured the 50 and 100 free events. Meanwhile, Megan Wakefield was dubbed the Most Outstanding Female Diver of the Meet after taking both the 1 and 3-meter titles. During his second season with the Green and Blue, Rollins guided the program to its second CCSA title in as many years, giving FGCU four-straight and its ninth crown in a span of a decade. At the conclusion of the meet, he received his second-consecutive CCSA Coach of the Year. By season’s end, FGCU had a swimmer represented at the NCAA Championships for a seventh straight season as Christina Kaas Elmgreen participated in the 100 and 200 fly events. The Eagles capped off the that season going 7-2 overall with an unblemished 2-0 mark in conference action. FGCU tied a program record with nine student-athletes collecting CSCAA honors as the team landed a spot on the Scholar-All America team. Elmgreen highlighted the bunch with First Team honors. All said, FGCU posted a 3.43 GPA to end the 2018 spring semester.      In his first season with the Green and Blue, Rollins immediately built upon the winning legacy that had been established in the program as FGCU won its eighth CCSA Championship in nine years and sent swimmers to the NCAA Championships for the sixth-straight season. Rollins, who was named the CCSA Coach of the Year, led the 200 free relay team to a 15th place finish at the NCAA Championships and saw the quartet earn CSCAA Honorable Mention All-American honors - becoming just the second relay team in program history to do so. At the end of the week, FGCU turned in the third-best finish in program history as the Eagles tied for 41st - finishing ahead of the likes of Alabama, Notre Dame, Duke, Rutgers and others.  That season, the team not only excelled in the pool by tying a program record with 12 dual meet wins, but also turned in its best semester in the classroom with a program best 3.52 GPA. The Eagles were named a CSCAA Scholar All-America team for the 13th straight semester, while a record nine student-athlete earned First Team or Honorable Mention Scholar All-American accolades. FGCU was one of seven CCSA programs to receive the recognition and matched Miami for the highest GPA turned in by a Division I women's program in Florida.     In four seasons with the Buckeyes, Rollins worked in multiple capacities including serving as the recruiting coordinator and director of operations to go along with his coaching duties. Promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach of the men’s team in April 2016, he helped lead Ohio State to four consecutive top-three finishes at the Big Ten Championships, including a runner-up finish in 2015, as well as four straight top-18 finishes at the NCAA Championships.   During his tenure at Ohio State when the men’s team posted a 40-5 (.889) dual-meet record, Rollins worked primarily with the mid-distance and stroke swimmers while also collaborating with the women’s coaches and student-athletes during the season. On the men’s side, Rollins helped mentor multiple student-athletes to a total of 74 Academic All-Big Ten selections, 37 All-American honors, 14 individual and relay school records – all but five events – and six individual Big Ten championships.   Prior to Ohio State, he was the head coach of the Cincinnati Marlins while also serving as an assistant coach for St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 2010-12. With the Marlins, Rollins oversaw all aspects of running a satellite program including scheduling practices, conducting workouts and mentoring assistant coaches. His contributions resulted in dramatic results as the Marlins captured three Ohio Age Group Championships. Rollins also worked with Olympic Trials qualifiers, National and Junior National qualifiers, and national and state record holders. Additionally, his efforts with St. Xavier were equally impressive as he was a part of two Southwest District Titles and Ohio Division I State Championships while coaching 11 All-Americans.   Rollins’ coaching career began during the 2006-07 season – while still fulfilling his curriculum requirements at Arizona – when he served as an assistant coach for Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics under his former coach and American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Famer Frank Busch. During his first season in the profession, Rollins worked with all levels of swimmers, ranging from novice swimmers to state champions, sectional champions, Junior and Senior National qualifiers and Olympic Trials qualifiers.   After moving to Flagstaff, Ariz., in 2007, Rollins served as an assistant coach at Northern Arizona University for three seasons while also taking over head coaching duties for the Flagstaff Peaks Aquatics Club. In both capacities, he played a major role in impacting the quality and growth of the programs, highlighted by 12 school records at NAU and moving Peaks into the USA Bronze Medal Club category.   A 2007 graduate of Arizona with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, Rollins made a name for himself as a member of the Wildcats swimming & diving program. Along with his aforementioned NCAA All-American and national champion honors, Rollins is a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier (2004, ’08) and a USA Swimming National Championship finalist. While at Arizona, he set four school records and became the fastest American breaststroker in history – a record that stood for six years. He captained the Wildcats his senior year and still holds a pair of all-time top-10 performances in the 100 breaststroke (52.68) and 200 IM (1:44.42). Due to his accomplishments with the Wildcats, Rollins has been named a member of the 2017 University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class.    A native of Brockton, Mass., he and his wife, Caroline Keefe Rollins, reside in Fort Myers with their three children, Alice, Elliot and Anna.    

Lindsay Fico was named the second head coach in FGCU Softball history on May 24, 2025. Fico joined FGCU after four seasons at Mercer, culminating in its first Southern Conference championship and NCAA postseason appearance in 2025. During her time in Macon, she totaled 99 wins and coached a dozen Bears to all-conference accolades, along with a 2024 NFCA All-Region selection in Tori Hedgecock. The Bears went 40-26 in Fico's fourth year at the helm, finishing the season 21-5 in their final 26 games. Their season ended in the Gainesville Regional final against host Florida. Mercer went 7-1 in the SoCon Championship, staving off elimination four consecutive days to win the title. Entering as the No. 5 seed, the Bears defeated Furman in an elimination game, followed by a win over No. 4 seed Wofford. After falling to top-seeded Chattanooga in extra innings, Mercer eliminated East Tennessee State, UNC Greensboro and Samford to reach the championship round. The Bears overcame a 5-0 deficit to force a winner-take-all game, then secured the title with a 5-2 victory over Chattanooga, powered by a two-run homer in the third inning. Six Bears were named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team, led by pitcher Grace Taylor, who was named Most Outstanding Player. Taylor went 4-0 with a 2.59 ERA over 24 1/3 innings. Kiki Daniels, Paris Wiggs, Tori Hedgecock, Grace Jones and Hannah Rivers also earned SoCon All-Tournament nods. Mercer continued its historic run in the NCAA Tournament, appearing in the Gainesville Regional. After an opening loss to Florida, the Bears eliminated Georgia Tech 7-3 and shut out Florida Atlantic 7-0 before falling to the Gators in the regional final. The 2025 Bears had five players earn All-SoCon honors, the most since 2021. Tori Hedgecock and Hallie Langford were named to the first team, while Sietske Drijvers earned second-team honors. Grace Jones and Hannah Rivers were named to the All-Freshman Team. Four student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. Drijvers, Taylor, Daniels and Wiggs all followed Fico to Fort Myers and will play a key role on Fico’s first FGCU team in 2026. In 2024, Mercer reached the second round of the SoCon Championship after going 11-10 in league play. Four players earned All-Conference honors, led by Hedgecock, who also received NFCA Third Team All-Region recognition. Five players were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. In 2023, Mercer reached the SoCon semifinals. Four players earned All-SoCon honors, including second-team selections Rebeca Laudino and Kylie Helm. Two players were named to the CSC Academic All-District Team. In her first season, Fico coached four All-SoCon honorees, with Laudino earning first-team recognition. Prior to her time at Mercer, Fico coached at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, where she led the Saints to 70 wins over three seasons, including a 31-win campaign in 2021 that culminated in a Mid-Florida Conference Tournament title and the program's first FCSAA state tournament appearance in four years. The Saints went 20-1 at home in her final season, allowing just 2.9 runs per game. Fico began her coaching career with the Santa Fe Inferno, a well-regarded travel ball organization in Central Florida. Her passion for coaching began with individual lessons during and before her collegiate playing career. The former Lindsay Norfleet played four seasons (2003–06) at Florida, primarily in the infield under head coach Tim Walton. A Madison, Florida, native, she appeared in 206 games and helped the Gators to 165 wins and four NCAA postseason appearances. Fico earned a degree in public relations from Florida in 2006. She and her husband, Damon, have one son, Damon Jr. (D.C.).  

Deiros The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros enters his 14th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to 12 seasons with a winning record, eight campaigns with 35+ wins and a win percentage of .669 (544-268-3). Projected to finish sixth in the Atlantic Sun before the season started, Deiros managed the highs and lows of a 2016 season which ultimately brought the ASUN title back to Southwest Florida for the third time. Behind the ASUN Player of the Year Louie Ross, the ASUN Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Riley Randolph, and 16 total postseason awards, Deiros was named the ASUN Coach of the Year for the first time in his career, pushing FGCU to a 32-27 record while bringing the program back to the brink of its second NCAA Tournament appearance. Deiros took down another Power 5 opponent in 2015 when the Eagles defeated Pitt 4-2 on March 8. The win was part of a 23-30 season for FGCU which saw Kelsey Huff land on the A-Sun All-Freshmen team. FGCU got off to a strong start in 2015, compiling an 18-15 non-conference record. During that time, the Eagles compiled winning streaks of three, four and five games.  In addition to Huff, Kelsey Carpenter and Jeanie Verderese were selected to the A-Sun Academic All-Conference team.  The 2014 Eagles finished with a 33-26-1 and wins over SEC, Big 10, Big East, and ACC opponents. FGCU finished their season with an RPI ranking in the top-100 for the 3rd consecutive season and the 5th time in their seven years at Division I.  They made their third Atlantic Sun Tournament appearance in three years of eligibility and valiantly finished 3rd in the tournament.  Despite falling in their opening game to eventual champion Stetson, FGCU rattled off consecutive victories against Kennesaw State and regular season champion USC Upstate 8-7.  Needing one more win to make it to the championship game, the Eagles season came to a heartbreaking halt with a 2-1 loss to Mercer in 11 innings. The Eagles saw three members of the squad earn all-conference distinction and two others earn conference academic awards.  As a unit, the team posted a 3.51 grade point average in the fall and saw as four members of the team posted perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester. In FGCU's second season of post-season eligibility, the Eagles went 36-18, earned their highest RPI ranking (55) since 2009, and helped the Atlantic Sun Conference rank as the 7th best conference in the country.  They seemed to save their best performances until the end of games as they set a school record by winning 13 games in their final at-bat (11 by walk-off).   Their 16-8 record in Atlantic Sun Conference competition earned them a third place finish, just a half game out of second and one and a half games out of first.  The FGCU Softball team has now finished the regular season in third place or higher in each of its six seasons in the Atlantic Sun and qualified for their second consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.  In 2012, FGCU's first season of post-season eligibility, the Eagles won their second Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title. Appearing in their first conference tournament, FGCU swept all three opponents to win the title and earn the conference's NCAA Championship automatic bid. The Eagles traveled to Gainesville for their first NCAA Regional Tournament proceeded to defeat the Gators in their opening game. The upset win marked the first NCAA Tournament victory by FGCU in any sport in their Division I era. Deiros guided FGCU through the transition into NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2008, leading the Eagles to a conference regular season championship in their first season with a 48-16 overall record and 16-6 league mark. FGCU missed pulling off a repeat in 2009 by one game to finish in second place. Overall, FGCU is 101-49 in the A-Sun thanks in part to 36 sweeps in their 67 series played.  The Eagles own a 6-4 record in the A-Sun Tournament with one championship in 2012 and a 3rd finish last season.  Individual A-Sun Conference accolades have also racked up in the Eagles seven years of membership, highlighted by four winners of the Conference Player of the Year award (Carmen Paez-2008, Cheyenne Jenks-2009, Courtney Platt-2011, and Chelsea Zgrabik-2013) and one winner of the Conference Pitcher of the Year (Shelby Morgan-2012). In all, Deiros has coached 84 A-Sun Academic All-Conference selections, four A-Sun All-Academic Team selections, 14 All-Conference first-team choices, eight second- team picks and eight All-Freshmen team honorees. FGCU spent its first five seasons (2003-07) at the NCAA Division II level. In their final two seasons at Division II, the Eagles amassed 120 victories, including a school record and NCAA-leading 62 wins in 2007 and consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. During the Blue and Greens time in Division II, Deiros was a three-time Division I-II All-Independent Coach of the Year by the ICAA. FGCU has also made an impact on the national level by finishing the 2008 season with an RPI rank of No. 40 and continued its meteoric rise in 2009 by finishing the year ranked in the top 30.  During his tenure, Deiros has coached four district All-Academic team members, nine (19) All-South Region players, one South Region Player of the Year, three All-Americans (Ashley Cecil-2005, Paez-2007, Jenks-2009), two top 25 Finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year (Paez-2008, Jenks-2009), and one Daktronics National Player of the Year (Paez-2007). The 2008 A-Sun Championship campaign saw the Eagles lead the A-Sun race from wire-to-wire, compiling a 16-6 record. FGCUs prodigious offense continued to impress against Division I competition by leading the conference in batting average (.310), on-base percentage (.411), home runs (71) and slugging percentage (.497). The Eagles scored more than an average of six runs per game, which shattered the previous A-Sun record and ranked them in the top 10 in the country. Overall, FGCU finished the season with a record of 48-16 and a final NCAA RPI ranking of 40. The 2009 season proved that 2008 wasnt a fluke, as FGCU finished second in the A-Sun with a 15-5 record - just one game out of first. The Eagles offense again led the conference in just about every major category by finishing the regular season with the highest batting average (.351) and the second-most runs scored per game in the country (7.5 - breaking their own league record by more than a run per game). FGCU played in the championship game of all six tournaments entered, winning titles in the FGCU Spring Break Invitational, the USF Under Armor Tournament and the Hawaii Mahilini Pepsi Tournament. Overall, FGCU finished the regular season in the top five in victories with a record of 47-9, No. 23 national ranking in the Ultimate College Softball Poll, No. 30 ranking in the ESPN Poll and final NCAA RPI of 26. FGCU spent 11 consecutive weeks in the national top 25 (peaking as high as No. 5), won three of the five tournaments it entered and earned its second consecutive NCAA National Tournament invitation and finished the  season with a 62-8 record in 2007. Led by a powerful offense that ranked second in the nation with 87 home runs and a stingy pitching staff that held an ERA of 1.00, the Eagles finished second in the region and garnered a No. 10 final national ranking. Then-junior Carmen Paez brought home the Daktronics National Player of the Year award after setting a Division II record with 28 home runs. In 2006, Deiros led the Eagles to an impressive 57-7 record and their first invitation to the NCAA National Tournament in just their second year of eligibility for postseason play. The Eagles earned a fifth-place finish and a final ranking of No. 28 in the nation. Deiros was named Division I-II All-Independent Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year by the ICAA. A 1989 graduate of the University of South Florida with a BS in Chemistry, Deiros also holds a Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Miami (FL). Besides his head coaching duties at FGCU, Deiros has served as the Department of Athletics business manager and as a full-time chemistry instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences. He still teaches a General Chemistry class every fall semester.  He was named FGCUs Administrative and Professional Employee of the Year for the 2002-03 academic year. One of the most successful high school softball coaches in Southwest Florida, Deiros was the head coach at Lely High School in Naples before starting the program at Gulf Coast High School. In those six seasons, his teams posted a 116-67 record that included one district title, one regional championship, one regional runner-up and one state finalist. He has also coached high school baseball, girls basketball and football in Collier County. His teaching experience includes high school chemistry and physics and adjunct chemistry instruction at Edison State College. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, he and his wife Jennifer reside in Naples with their son, Eric (14). David Deiros Head Coach @FGCUSBDeiros The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros enters his 14th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to 12 seasons with a winning record, eight campaigns with 35+ wins and a win percentage of .669 (544-268-3). Projected to finish sixth in the Atlantic Sun before the season started, Deiros managed the highs and lows of a 2016 season which ultimately brought the ASUN title back to Southwest Florida for the third time. Behind the ASUN Player of the Year Louie Ross, the ASUN Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Riley Randolph, and 16 total postseason awards, Deiros was named the ASUN Coach of the Year for the first time in his career, pushing FGCU to a 32-27 record while bringing the program back to the brink of its second NCAA Tournament appearance. Deiros took down another Power 5 opponent in 2015 when the Eagles defeated Pitt 4-2 on March 8. The win was part of a 23-30 season for FGCU which saw Kelsey Huff land on the A-Sun All-Freshmen team. FGCU got off to a strong start in 2015, compiling an 18-15 non-conference record. During that time, the Eagles compiled winning streaks of three, four and five games.  In addition to Huff, Kelsey Carpenter and Jeanie Verderese were selected to the A-Sun Academic All-Conference team.  The 2014 Eagles finished with a 33-26-1 and wins over SEC, Big 10, Big East, and ACC opponents. FGCU finished their season with an RPI ranking in the top-100 for the 3rd consecutive season and the 5th time in their seven years at Division I.  They made their third Atlantic Sun Tournament appearance in three years of eligibility and valiantly finished 3rd in the tournament.  Despite falling in their opening game to eventual champion Stetson, FGCU rattled off consecutive victories against Kennesaw State and regular season champion USC Upstate 8-7.  Needing one more win to make it to the championship game, the Eagles season came to a heartbreaking halt with a 2-1 loss to Mercer in 11 innings. The Eagles saw three members of the squad earn all-conference distinction and two others earn conference academic awards.  As a unit, the team posted a 3.51 grade point average in the fall and saw as four members of the team posted perfect 4.0 GPAs during the spring semester. In FGCU's second season of post-season eligibility, the Eagles went 36-18, earned their highest RPI ranking (55) since 2009, and helped the Atlantic Sun Conference rank as the 7th best conference in the country.  They seemed to save their best performances until the end of games as they set a school record by winning 13 games in their final at-bat (11 by walk-off).   Their 16-8 record in Atlantic Sun Conference competition earned them a third place finish, just a half game out of second and one and a half games out of first.  The FGCU Softball team has now finished the regular season in third place or higher in each of its six seasons in the Atlantic Sun and qualified for their second consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament.  In 2012, FGCU's first season of post-season eligibility, the Eagles won their second Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title. Appearing in their first conference tournament, FGCU swept all three opponents to win the title and earn the conference's NCAA Championship automatic bid. The Eagles traveled to Gainesville for their first NCAA Regional Tournament proceeded to defeat the Gators in their opening game. The upset win marked the first NCAA Tournament victory by FGCU in any sport in their Division I era. Deiros guided FGCU through the transition into NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Sun Conference in 2008, leading the Eagles to a conference regular season championship in their first season with a 48-16 overall record and 16-6 league mark. FGCU missed pulling off a repeat in 2009 by one game to finish in second place. Overall, FGCU is 101-49 in the A-Sun thanks in part to 36 sweeps in their 67 series played.  The Eagles own a 6-4 record in the A-Sun Tournament with one championship in 2012 and a 3rd finish last season.  Individual A-Sun Conference accolades have also racked up in the Eagles seven years of membership, highlighted by four winners of the Conference Player of the Year award (Carmen Paez-2008, Cheyenne Jenks-2009, Courtney Platt-2011, and Chelsea Zgrabik-2013) and one winner of the Conference Pitcher of the Year (Shelby Morgan-2012). In all, Deiros has coached 84 A-Sun Academic All-Conference selections, four A-Sun All-Academic Team selections, 14 All-Conference first-team choices, eight second- team picks and eight All-Freshmen team honorees. FGCU spent its first five seasons (2003-07) at the NCAA Division II level. In their final two seasons at Division II, the Eagles amassed 120 victories, including a school record and NCAA-leading 62 wins in 2007 and consecutive NCAA Tournament berths. During the Blue and Greens time in Division II, Deiros was a three-time Division I-II All-Independent Coach of the Year by the ICAA. FGCU has also made an impact on the national level by finishing the 2008 season with an RPI rank of No. 40 and continued its meteoric rise in 2009 by finishing the year ranked in the top 30.  During his tenure, Deiros has coached four district All-Academic team members, nine (19) All-South Region players, one South Region Player of the Year, three All-Americans (Ashley Cecil-2005, Paez-2007, Jenks-2009), two top 25 Finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year (Paez-2008, Jenks-2009), and one Daktronics National Player of the Year (Paez-2007). The 2008 A-Sun Championship campaign saw the Eagles lead the A-Sun race from wire-to-wire, compiling a 16-6 record. FGCUs prodigious offense continued to impress against Division I competition by leading the conference in batting average (.310), on-base percentage (.411), home runs (71) and slugging percentage (.497). The Eagles scored more than an average of six runs per game, which shattered the previous A-Sun record and ranked them in the top 10 in the country. Overall, FGCU finished the season with a record of 48-16 and a final NCAA RPI ranking of 40. The 2009 season proved that 2008 wasnt a fluke, as FGCU finished second in the A-Sun with a 15-5 record - just one game out of first. The Eagles offense again led the conference in just about every major category by finishing the regular season with the highest batting average (.351) and the second-most runs scored per game in the country (7.5 - breaking their own league record by more than a run per game). FGCU played in the championship game of all six tournaments entered, winning titles in the FGCU Spring Break Invitational, the USF Under Armor Tournament and the Hawaii Mahilini Pepsi Tournament. Overall, FGCU finished the regular season in the top five in victories with a record of 47-9, No. 23 national ranking in the Ultimate College Softball Poll, No. 30 ranking in the ESPN Poll and final NCAA RPI of 26. FGCU spent 11 consecutive weeks in the national top 25 (peaking as high as No. 5), won three of the five tournaments it entered and earned its second consecutive NCAA National Tournament invitation and finished the  season with a 62-8 record in 2007. Led by a powerful offense that ranked second in the nation with 87 home runs and a stingy pitching staff that held an ERA of 1.00, the Eagles finished second in the region and garnered a No. 10 final national ranking. Then-junior Carmen Paez brought home the Daktronics National Player of the Year award after setting a Division II record with 28 home runs. In 2006, Deiros led the Eagles to an impressive 57-7 record and their first invitation to the NCAA National Tournament in just their second year of eligibility for postseason play. The Eagles earned a fifth-place finish and a final ranking of No. 28 in the nation. Deiros was named Division I-II All-Independent Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year by the ICAA. A 1989 graduate of the University of South Florida with a BS in Chemistry, Deiros also holds a Master's degree in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Miami (FL). Besides his head coaching duties at FGCU, Deiros has served as the Department of Athletics business manager and as a full-time chemistry instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences. He still teaches a General Chemistry class every fall semester.  He was named FGCUs Administrative and Professional Employee of the Year for the 2002-03 academic year. One of the most successful high school softball coaches in Southwest Florida, Deiros was the head coach at Lely High School in Naples before starting the program at Gulf Coast High School. In those six seasons, his teams posted a 116-67 record that included one district title, one regional championship, one regional runner-up and one state finalist. He has also coached high school baseball, girls basketball and football in Collier County. His teaching experience includes high school chemistry and physics and adjunct chemistry instruction at Edison State College. A member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, he and his wife Jennifer reside in Naples with their son, Eric (14).

Devyn Flaherty joined FGCU Softball in July 2025 and serves as an assistant coach. Prior to FGCU, Flaherty was on head coach Lindsay Fico’s staff at Mercer in 2025. The coaching staff guided the Bears to their first Southern Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance after a 40-26 season. Mercer continued its historic run in the NCAA Tournament, appearing in the Gainesville Regional. After an opening loss to Florida, the Bears eliminated Georgia Tech 7-3 and shut out Florida Atlantic 7-0 before falling to Florida in the regional final. As a player, Flaherty starred at Florida State from 2020-24, earning four All-ACC nods at second base. A 2021 & 2023 Women’s College World Series finalist, her 275 games played in the Garnet and Gold is tied for the fourth most in program history. She is one of just seven Seminoles to record 100 career stolen bases. Flaherty finished her career with 241 hits, 100 stolen bases and a career .320 average. After her career at Florida State, Flaherty played professionally for the Orlando Monarchs. A Sarasota native, Flaherty played club for Fico and the Santa Fe Inferno in high school.

Jody Hennigar joined FGCU Softball in January 2026 and serves as the pitching coach. Prior to FGCU, Hennigar has been a college pitching coach since 2017, including stops at Jacksonville, Buffalo and Cornell. At JU, his pitchers posted a combined 2.80 earned-run average with 176 strikeouts. His top pitcher, Alyssa Bilodeau, went 16-13 with a 2.32 ERA and 115 strikeouts over 190 innings that season.  The decorated Hennigar has been inducted into the Canadian Softball Hall of Fame (2010), the Nova Scotia Softball Hall of Fame (2010), the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame (2010), the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame (2010) and the Amateur Softball Association Hall of Fame (2011). Hennigar's first coaching job came as an assistant for New Zealand's U18 Boys National Team in 1985. He later spent six seasons as an assistant coach of Florida Ultimate Gold and five as the head coach of the U14 Tampa Mustangs.  As a player, Hennigar won several medals and honors as a member of the Canadian National men's fastpitch team from 1989 to 2002. He earned All-Canadian team honors six times and the Most Valuable Player and Most Valuable Pitcher awards twice each.  Hennigar was a standout two-way player during his fast pitch career, beating a team at the plate or on the mound. Hennigar was at his best in national championship play or world championship play, earning ASA All-America laurels seven times between 1985-2005. He twice led the ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch Tourney in batting, won a home run title and the Dudley Award as the tourney’s outstanding pitcher.  Hennigar compiled a 19-9 pitching record in seven ASA nationals. He batted .351 (54-for-154), drove in 46 runs and smashed 14 home runs, which is second best in ASA history trailing  Jeff Seip. Hennigar had one of his best seasons in 1992 when he batted .382, hitting 21 homers and driving in 75 runs to lead the Bombers.  On the mound that year, he fashioned a 35-5 record with an ERA of 0.82. In 1992 and 1994, he led the Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Tourney in batting and in 1994 he also led in home runs with five. In 2002, Hennigar was 6-0 on the mound and won the Dudley Award as the tourney’s Outstanding Pitcher. Hennigar retired following the 2005 season. He didn’t play in the ASA National Championship that year, but batted .333 for the season with three homers and 12 RBI. In the ISC, Hennigar compiled a 21-12 pitching record and batted .280.  Although he was never on an ASA National Championship team, he played on teams that were consistent top ten finishers, finishing in the top five in every appearance. The teams he played for included Cedar Rapids Vigortone, Cedar Rapids Teleconect, The Farm Tavern, Madison, Wisc., the Clearwater, Fla. Bombers, Circle Tap of Denmark, Wisc., and the Fedlock Falcons who he played with for three years. Hennigar is the 78th male fast pitch player inducted into the Hall of Fame.   

Jorde Chartrand joined FGCU Softball in July 2025 and serves as an assistant coach. Prior to FGCU, Chartrand completed her collegiate career in 2025 at UNC Greensboro. The two-way player earned NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors and First Team All-SoCon honors in 2025 after posting a 2.30 ERA in the circle across 137 innings pitched and a .348 average with nine homers and 36 RBI at the plate. She also earned 2023 First Team All-SoCon honors. A Weyburn, Saskatchewan, native, Chartrand was selected as the top U16 Canadian pitcher in 2019, earning an invitation to the Canada Junior National Team Camp. She was named to the Canadian National Team that competed in the 2022 Celebration Tour and the Canada Cup International Softball Championship.   

Nunez-Alvarez most extensive and important accomplishments come from the 2023-24 season during his time at Virginia Tech as an assistant coach for the college team and the post grad group of professional swimmers during the 2023-2024 season. While working directly under the tutelage of Sergio Lopez Miro (First Olympic medalist for Spain in Swimming and 5x Olympic Coach), he was selected as a coach for the Mexican National Team at the World Aquatics Championships (Doha 2024), coaching 7 swimmers to 10 finals and 7 semifinals at the World Aquatic Championships (Doha 2024) and 3 semifinals at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, including 2 top 10 finishes. Additionally, 6 of his athletes were international medalists during the 2023/2024 season (Asian, Pan American Games, and SCM European Championships). Other accomplishments include several National and team records broken, highest place ever at the 2024 Men's NCAA Championships (tie, with a record of points), along several ACC medalists and Champions. Nunez-Alvarez started his coaching career as an age group swim coach at Gulliver Swim Club in Miami. During his time there as the primary coach for the 11-12 Gold Group , the girls team won the FGC Junior Olympics meet in July 2019, while also qualifying several swimmers to the Southern Zone Meet as a part of the FGC team. As a graduate assistant at Delta State University for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons, he helped the men’s team win their 5th and 6th NSISC conference titles in a row, breaking the school record for most titles won. Additionally, he coached several athletes to Division II All-American status.  A native of Oviedo (Spain), Alvarez graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Florida Southern College in 2018, and a Master of Science in Exercise Science and Kinesiology from Delta State University in 2023. As a swimmer, Alvarez was an age group national champion in the 400 IM, 7 times Division II All-American in 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 and 400 Freestyle relays and team captain at Florida Southern in 2017.