Florida SouthWestern announces hire of Zac Cole to lead baseball program
After a nationwide search of nearly 200 candidates, Florida SouthWestern State Director of Athletics George Sanders has announced that Zac Cole will be the next coach for the Buccaneers baseball team.
Cole joins the Bucs after three seasons as the pitching coach at the College of Central Florida where he helped the Patriots to their first Region VIII Championship and trip to the JuCo World Series in nearly 25 years last season. Cole's pitching staff produced the FCSAA Pitcher of the Year in Ben Chestnutt as well as a pair of Major League Baseball signees in Mason Ronan and Connor Godwin. In his three seasons at Central Florida, the Patriots were 104-37.
"We are excited to bring Zac on board to continue to lead our baseball program at its current trajectory," Sanders said in a release. "Zac brings great energy and experience in a number of different levels and organizations in the baseball world which will help him continue to bring high achieving student-athletes to FSW."
Cole has also served the past six years as a head coach and manager in the Valley League, a prestigious Summer Collegiate Baseball League, leading his team to a Championship in 2018 and being named the Manager of the Year in the league the next season in 2019.
Prior to getting into the junior college coaching ranks, Cole spent three seasons as a scout with the Baltimore Orioles organization.
He began his coaching career at the Division I level where he was the pitching coach at the University of Tennessee-Martin, helping the Skyhawks break the single season strikeouts record in back to back seasons in 2012 and 2013.
All told, Cole has coached 38 Major League Baseball draft picks including Texas Rangers first rounder Cole Ragans and four eventual Big Leaguers in Cole Sands, Brendan Donovan, Tyler Holton, and Alec Mills.
As a player Cole began his career at the junior college level at Palm Beach State College before transferring to the Division I level to pitch for Tennessee Tech University. He then played four years of professional baseball, including a season in the Baltimore Orioles organization.
"I couldn't be more excited to be selected to lead the Florida SouthWestern baseball program," Cole said in a release. "FSW Baseball is going to be a first class program built around hard work, respect, positivity, and commitment. Our student-athletes will be pushed daily to be the best version of themselves on and off the field and that potential will help us reach our goal of getting to Grand Junction."
"I could feel the family environment and camaraderie in the department, everyone's goals align perfectly. I want to say thank you to George Sanders and the leadership at FSW as well as to the hiring committee for believing in my vision for the program."
Cole will assume his duties with the Bucs immediately in preparation for the 2022-23 season.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: FSW Baseball hires College of Central Florida's Zac Cole to lead program
