Gator Softball Coaches & Support Staff
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Tim Walton
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Head coach Tim Walton has changed the face of Florida softball since his first season in 2006, establishing the program as a national powerhouse in just six years at helm of the Gators squad. Under Walton’s tutelage, the Gators became the first Southeastern Conference institution in history to earn four consecutive Women’s College World Series berths, as Florida’s 2011 team worked its way to a second WCWS Championship Series appearance in the last three seasons. Walton celebrated his 400th career victory on 2011 opening day and shortly thereafter eclipsed the 300-win mark as the Gator head coach.
In his six years at Florida, Walton has led the Orange and Blue to countless school and SEC records, as his six squads have earned numerous firsts for the Gator softball program. In 2011, UF advanced to an unprecedented fourth straight Women’s College World Series, including its second trip to the Championship Series. Working as a three-time SEC Coach of the Year, Walton has led the Gators to two SEC regular-season and tournament titles. UF has made the NCAA Tournament every year of his tenure and hosted Regionals all six times. Walton has tutored 20 All-Americans, 25 NFCA All-Southeast Region honorees, nine WCWS All-Tournament team selections, 29 All-SEC selections, 13 SEC All-Tournament team members, including two MVPs, two SEC Pitchers of the Year and two SEC Players of the Year. 2011 senior Kelsey Bruder brought home the Honda Sports Award, designating her as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete in the sport of softball, and shortly after was awarded one of the 2012 NCAA Today’s Top VIII Award as one of the top eight NCAA athletes in the country through the 2010-11 school year. The coaching staff has earned NFCA Southeast Regional Coaching Staff of the Year four years and the team was one of Easton’s Teams of the Year in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Under Walton’s watch, the Gators have shattered 286 University of Florida records since 2006. In 2008, Walton led his team to a NCAA-record 70-win season and set the best SEC record in league history at 27-1. Florida’s 2011 squad downed eight SEC records, including four team season records for runs (508), RBI (479) and walks (322), while extending its standing season homers record to 124. 2010 saw the Gators set the league record for slugging percentage (.627). The 2009 Gators became only the second team to ever register a perfect conference road record (13-0).
Florida finished 2011 as the No. 2 team in the country and the national runners up behind the success of a 56-13 (.811) overall record, led by the winningest class of seniors in school history. SEC Player of the Year Kelsey Bruder, Stephanie Brombacher, Megan Bush, Tiffany DeFelice and Aja Paculba put on a dominating four-year performance and concluded their careers boasting a 238-33 (.878) overall record and a 94-13 (.878) record in SEC play as UF tallied its fourth 50-win season in school history. UF paced the nation in Academic All-Americans, with four, and boasted a nation-leading six All-Americans and Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region selections, the most possible for a single institution, to accompany seven All-SEC honorees, including two SEC All-Defensive team members. The 2011 Gators jumped out of the gates with a 24-0 start, the best in school history, and worked their way to a fourth straight SEC Eastern Division title, the fifth in Gator history, compiling a 21-7 league mark. The Gators downed over 40 University of Florida single-season, game and career records en route to a fourth WCWS appearance, where freshman Cheyenne Coyle, sophomore Brittany Schutte and Bruder earned WCWS All-Tournament Team honors next to WCWS Most Outstanding Player, junior Michelle Moultrie.
Statistically, Florida turned in a nation-leading performance in 2011, checking in at first in the country in home runs per game (1.8) and second in slugging percentage (.588). The Gators’ 124 homers ranks fourth all-time in NCAA history and their 508 runs check in at sixth in the NCAA record books. UF paced the SEC in wins (56), slugging percentage (.588), runs (508), hits (573), RBI (479), home runs (124) and walks (322). Freshman hurler Hannah Rogers ranked third in the NCAA in wins (36), second among freshmen, while Schutte turned in 22 homers to rank third in the NCAA. Bush, the UF and SEC career home runs leader (65), ranked fifth in the country with her 21 bombs in 2011, while ranking first with nine sacrifice flies.
Not only is Walton’s impact reflected on the collegiate softball field, but his success as a coach has trickled to the national level as a school-record four Gators accepted invitations to participate in USA Softball’s 2011 Women’s National Team Selection Camp, including Bush, Coyle, Moultrie and Schutte, two of which were named to the Women’s National Team – Moultrie and Schutte – and are set to represent not only the Orange and Blue, but also the Red, White and Blue through 2011.
Walton’s 2010 Gators finished 49-10 with a .831 winning percentage, fourth best in the country. They made the WCWS for the third straight year, were the fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament, garnering a top-five seed for the third straight year, while reaching the quarterfinals of the 2010 WCWS in Oklahoma City. Florida finished the season ranked sixth in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. The Gators went 20-4 in the SEC, placing second overall and first in the East Division. The 2010 squad set 28 school records, including nine single-game records and seven single-season records. As a power-hitting team, Florida set records for runs (22), hits (21), RBIs (20) and home runs (six, twice) in a game while breaking the school record for batting average (.331), runs (433), RBIs (402), total bases (936) and on-base percentage (.432). While topping the SEC record book for slugging percentage (.627), they ranked second in the nation for the power-hitting percentage while averaging 7.34 runs per game. Their 109 home runs and 1.85 homers per game ranked third in the country. Seven different Gators hit 10 grand slams, the second most in program history, while six UF batters hit home runs nine times in the same game over the 2010 season. The Gators led the SEC in batting average and ranked second in ERA (2.20), on-base percentage, runs, RBIs and total bases, while playing between two and five games fewer than other top conference teams. Walton coached Florida past the 600-win mark in program history while his players garnered two All-Americans honors, five NFCA all-Southeast Region selections, five All-SEC honors, three SEC Freshman team awards, one SEC All-Defensive team selection, two SEC All-Tournament team nods and one WCWS All-Tournament team selection.
The 2009 season brought new accomplishments and challenges for Walton’s Gators. Their .926 (63-5) winning percentage was the best in the country, as was their 0.69 ERA. They garnered the program’s first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking in both the USA Today/NFCA and ESPN.com/USA Softball polls and returned to the top spot for 12 weeks, including three where they tallied unanimous first-place votes. The Gators then earned the No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament and for the second time in program history, Florida punched its ticket to the WCWS in Oklahoma City. UF soared to new heights with its first-ever berth in the championship series, going 8-0 in games leading to the showdown. The No. 2 final ranking was the highest in the program’s history to that point.
Walton led the ’09 team as it broke or tied 61 school records, including the two conference records. The Gators went 15-0 on the road and recorded only two home losses. They captured the SEC regular-season and tournament titles and set the country’s longest win streak of the season at 29 games. In all, Walton coached five All-Americans, six NFCA All-Southeast Region selections, seven All-SEC honorees, the most in Florida history, two SEC Freshman team selections, four SEC All-Defensive team members, four SEC All-Tournament team members, including the tournament’s MVP, two WCWS All-Tournament team members and the SEC Pitcher of the Year as Stacey Nelson repeated the accomplishment, all while earning his second SEC Coach of the Year award.
Walton set a few milestones of his own during the 2009 season. He reached 300 career wins on Feb. 27 with a 10-5 victory over Pacific in the Gators’ sweep of the Cox Invitational. He also became the winningest coach in Florida’s history when he tallied his 193rd victory on March 21 as the Gators downed Tennessee, 7-0. He surpassed former coach Karen Johns’ (2001-05) previous high (192) in 76 fewer games. In the 11-2 win over Mississippi State on April 4, Walton became the first coach in program history to amass 200 wins.
Walton’s third season was a true turning point for Florida softball, as the team racked up the NCAA-record 70 wins and set many firsts for the program. The Gators were the first team in school history to reach the WCWS and finished 3-2 in their first appearance, notching a spot in the semifinals. The ’08 Gators were also the first UF softball team to host a Super Regional, garnering the program’s first-ever No. 1 seed. UF took the SEC Tournament Championship for the first time as the Gators defeated Alabama, 4-1, in the title game. They also captured the SEC title for the second time in program history with their 27-1 record, the best winning percentage (.964) and most conference wins in SEC history.
The 2008 season also saw the program’s first No. 1 ranking while the team broke or tied 72 school records through the course of the year. The Gators tallied a program-high 37-game win streak and a 41-game home win streak, which spanned the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Walton also coached a school-record five players to Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region accolades and All-America honors. He also earned SEC Coach of the Year honors while coaching four All-SEC players, four SEC All-Defensive team members, four All-SEC Freshmen team members and the SEC Pitcher of the Year.
In Walton's second season, the Gators claimed the school’s first 50-win (50-22) season and an NCAA Super Regional appearance. Florida also advanced to the SEC Tournament Championship game in 2007 for the first time since the inaugural 1997 season. In addition, two Gators earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region honors, as well as All-America accolades, becoming only the second and third players in program history to earn the high honor, with Kim Waleszonia being the first position player named to an All-America team. As a team, the Gators set 59 school records.
In his first season, Walton led the Gators to a 43-25 overall record, making him the winningest first-year head coach in program history. The 43 wins were the most by the Gators since 2000 and the .632 winning percentage was the second-best in program history. Walton led the Gators to set 26 school records. Four individuals were named to All-SEC teams, a then program high, and senior Kristen Butler became only the second Gator to earn SEC Player of the Year honors. The Gators tallied another first when they defeated a No.1-ranked team for the first time ever, beating defending national champion Michigan, 3-2, on Feb. 18, 2006.
Walton, the third head coach in the history of the Gator program, came to Florida from Wichita State University in Wichita, Kan., where he had been the head coach for three seasons. In 2005, Walton led the Shockers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years as they earned the first at-large bid in school history. Wichita State finished the 2005 season with a school record 46-18 record and broke 30 school records in the process.
Walton began his tenure at Wichita State with a bang in 2003. The team put together one of the best turnarounds in the nation that year, improving its 2002 record by 18 wins to a 39-20 overall record. The Shockers’ 39 wins was a school record at that point. Under Walton's watch, Wichita State ranked among the top 30 in the nation for ERA and fielding percentage, including the fifth-best fielding percentage in 2005 (.977).
Walton has been a part of national championship teams as an assistant softball coach and as a baseball player, both for the University of Oklahoma. Before heading to Wichita, Walton served as an assistant softball coach for the Sooners, as the hitting coach and outfielders coach. In his four seasons at OU, the Sooners won three Big 12 titles and made three consecutive WCWS appearances, including winning the 2000 NCAA title.
Walton played baseball for two years at Cerritos Junior College in his home town of Cerritos, Calif., before transferring to Oklahoma. Walton made two trips to the College World Series as part of the Sooners pitching staff, earning the win in the 1994 national title game in a 13-5 victory over Georgia Tech.
As a head coach, Walton stresses academics and community involvement with his teams, as well as on-field performance. Since arriving in Gainesville, Walton has had his team involved in the community through Shands Hospital, March of Dimes, Climb for Cancer, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and Friends of Jaclyn, among other activities. In 2009, the Gators held the inaugural “Gators Swing for Cancer” event, which raised money for Shands Cancer Research Hospital. The Gators were awarded both the 2010 and 2011 UF Life Skills Cups for having the most community service hours of any Gator athletic team in back-to-back years.
In 2011, the four-time WCWS qualifying squad posted a 3.34 team Grade Point Average and in 2010, the Gators turned in a 3.38 overall team GPA in the classroom. In the fall of 2009, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the Gators had the fifth highest GPA in the country with a 3.49 team GPA, it’s highest ever. In 2008, they recorded the 13th highest GPA in the nation and were the only WCWS team to record a top-20 cumulative GPA. In 2007, they held the 12th highest and in 2006, the 16th. Since 2006, 59 Gators have earned SEC Academic Honor Roll status, 24 freshmen have earned SEC Freshman Honor Roll accolades, 19 players have been named Capitol One Academic All-District III selections and 11 have been tabbed Capitol One Academic All-Americans, including five first-team members. The 2009 team tallied the highest GPA in program history, recording a 3.53 cumulative GPA with five 4.0’s. It was also the highest among all UF sports teams for the fall semester. UF softball has a 94 percent graduation success rate, as calculated by the NCAA, well above the national average of 74 percent for the sport of softball.
"The importance of academic and community involvement stresses life after softball," Walton said. "Because the student-athletes are going to be part of a community it helps them learn what it is going to take to be good people. Being an student-athlete at the University of Florida makes you a role model. We want our team to be involved in the community and perform in the classroom to show young people that playing in college is about more than what they do on the field."
Not only is Walton’s impact reflected on the collegiate softball field, but his success as a coach has trickled to the national level as a school-record four Gators accepted invitations to participate in USA Softball’s 2011 Women’s National Team Selection Camp, including Bush, Coyle, Moultrie and Schutte, two of which were named to the Women’s National Team – Moultrie and Schutte – and represented Florida and Team USA in 2011. Moultrie and Schutte reeled in the 2011 World Cup of Softball VI gold medal with the US National Team and Moultrie went on to lead Team USA to a Pan American Games gold medal in October 2011. Coyle and two UF freshmen, Lauren Haeger and Jessica Damico, were all members of the US Women’s Junior National Team and all contributed to Team USA’s gold medal at the IX ISF Junior Women’s World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa, in December 2011.
Walton additionally hit the national softball coaching scene in 2010 when he was honored by the USSSA Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) professional softball league by being named head coach of the Florida Pride (Orlando). Walton led the Pride to the 2010 NPF Championship title last summer. The championship victory and NPF trophy was the first ever in Florida Pride history. Walton’s 2011 squad won the 2011 regular-season title en route to the runner-up spot at the NPF Championship, while the coaching staff earned 2011 Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
After graduating from Oklahoma with a degree in history, Walton played with the Philadelphia Phillies minor league organization from 1995-97.
Walton is married to the former Samantha Rhoten, who was a basketball player at Oral Roberts. The couple has two sons, Brooks (12) and Palmer (6), and a daughter, Camden (9).
