Gators Softball Welcomes Back Francesca Enea

After their worst season under Tim Walton, change was inevitable for the Florida Gators softball team. Enter a familiar face: Francesca Enea. On Monday, Walton announced that Enea will be the newest member of the Gators’ coaching staff starting in the 2024 season.

Fabulous Francesca

On this day in 2008, @GatorsSB's Francesca Enea tied the #WCWS single-game record with 2️⃣ home runs in a 6-1 win against Texas A&M. pic.twitter.com/DNzPKjVcYk

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) June 1, 2020

The Gators’ new assistant coach is not new to the Orange & Blue. Enea was a fixture for the Florida softball team from 2007-10, helping the Gators make three consecutive Women’s College World Series appearances from 2008-10, including a runner-up finish in 2009. Enea was a crucial piece for the Gators during their boom period, and was massive to help establish UF as one of the nation’s top softball programs.

During her collegiate career, Enea established herself as one of the country’s premier power hitters, slugging 61 home runs for the Gators over four years. Enea finished her career as the SEC’s all-time home run leader, and set Gator records in home runs and RBI’s. Enea was a three-time NFCA All-American, a two-time all-SEC selection, and was a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year top-10 finalist in her senior campaign in 2010.

The Gator Grad Gets Involved

After finishing her career for the Gators on the field, Enea graduated from UF in 2010 with a degree in Family Youth and Community Science. Enea continued to pursue softball, playing for the USSSA Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch League from 2010-13. Enea also moved over to the broadcast booth, where she has been a fixture for 12 years covering collegiate softball. She has covered a number of conferences including the SEC and has worked seven years of NCAA Softball Regionals.

However, when her former head coach Tim Walton came calling, Enea jumped at the opportunity to rejoin the Gator Nation and to add “Coach” to her stacked resume.

https://twitter.com/FranEnea10/status/1683794732814589953?s=20

A Down Year for UF

Under Tim Walton, the University of Florida has seen their softball program become the cream of the crop. Since Walton’s hiring in 2006, the Gators have appeared in 17 straight NCAA Tournaments, and have made a whopping 11 Women’s College World Series appearances, including two championships in 2014 and 2015.

However, 2023 was a down-year for the Gators. Florida entered the NCAA Tournament unseeded for the first time since national seeding began in 2005. While the Gators made it back to the tournament, they fell short in the Regionals and only finished with a 38-22 record, the worst in the Walton era. After parting ways with pitching coach Mike Bosch, and hiring Chelsey Dobbins as his replacement, the Gators made Enea their newest member of the staff. Walton had nothing but praise for his former player, saying that he “is beyond excited” and that Enea will be a “great addition” to the Florida staff.

Next Steps for the Gators

Congratulations to our signee @avajbrownn on being named the 2022-23 Gatorade Best Female Player of the Year‼️

Only the second softball player ever to earn the award #GoGators pic.twitter.com/PY5OSMkSR8

— Gators Softball (@GatorsSB) July 12, 2023

Despite not living up to their lofty standards this past season, hopes are high for a rebound next year, especially with the addition of 2023 Gatorade Female Player of the Year Ava Brown. The hire of Francesca Enea signals that the Gators potentially feel that they are not too far off from reclaiming the crown as the nation’s top team.