Florida Polytechnic University has named Mike Settle as its inaugural head softball coach, adding a veteran leader with deep Polk County roots to the University’s new Florida Poly Athletics program.
Settle joins Florida Poly after a long and successful coaching career at Lake Wales High School, where he spent 20 years coaching multiple sports and served as head softball coach for the last 11 years, building a record of 186-106.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to build a program from the ground up,” Settle said. “I’m lucky to be able to get up every day and do something that I love, coaching.”
Recruiting student-athletes who can succeed both on the field and in the classroom is a top priority for Settle. At Florida Poly, that means competing at a university exclusively dedicated to STEM education, balancing athletics with a rigorous curriculum.
“I want our players to graduate with a great degree and use softball to help them pay for it,” he said. “I love to win, but at the end of the day, if we can get these young ladies an opportunity to be successful in life, that’s what’s most important.”
Derek Lower, Florida Poly’s athletic director, said Settle’s background, local ties and recruiting network make him a strong fit to lead the University’s first softball program.
“When I called Mike’s references, ‘local legend’ was one of the main themes I heard. You can’t talk about softball in Polk County and not mention his name,” Lower said. “He hit the ground running and already has a list of recruits and commits who are ready to come in August.”
Florida Poly Softball is scheduled to begin competition next spring as part of the University’s new athletics program, which launches this fall with baseball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s basketball.
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Lydia Guzmán
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