GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Head Coach Tim Walton of the Florida softball program has announced the departure of assistant coach Mike Bosch and a national search for his replacement Thursday afternoon. Bosch's duties within the program primarily included the development of UF's pitching staff.
"At the conclusion of the season Mike and I sat down and discussed the year and his career here as our pitching coach. We decided that moving in a different direction was best for the program," Walton said. "Mike is the hardest working person I have ever been around. His objective teaching style and game planning are at the top of the industry. This was an extremely difficult decision for us to make. Mike is a tremendous man and cares deeply for his athletes and the Gator Softball Program. I wish him, his wife Ellen and his family the absolute best."Since his hiring in July of 2018, Bosch has served as Florida's pitching coach over the last five seasons and has helped mentor and develop UF's pitchers who have earned two NFCA All-American accolades, three NFCA All-Southeast Region awards, three All-SEC selections and 10 SEC Pitcher of the Week honors."Being part of this University of Florida championship program has been an amazing professional and personal experience," Bosch said. "Thank you to Athletic Director Scott Stricklin and Head Coach Tim Walton. As I look forward to the next chapter in my coaching career, I wish Coach Walton and the team continued success."Along the way he helped mentor Kelly Barnhill during her senior season in 2019, which led to her third NFCA All-American accolade and the program's fifth SEC Tournament Championship where Barnhill was tabbed the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.In 2021, Bosch guided Elizabeth Hightower to being the program's ninth overall NFCA All-American pitcher in program history. During that season the Gators also tied the 2012 single-season record with 12 saves, which saw Katie Chronister finish third nationally in the category and tie the individual single-season mark with six on the year.Walton and the Gators will now conduct a national search for the program's next pitching coach, which has produced nine NFCA All-American pitchers who have earned 20 All-American accolades since the program's inception in 1997.