Hall of Fame
Dr Nancy Bottge, a true icon of our Florida Tech Sports community, was rightfully inducted into the prestigious Florida Tech Sports Hall of Fame on March 19, 2016. This honor was a testament to her remarkable 11 seasons coaching the softball program from 1995-2005. Under her guidance, the Panthers achieved a record of 316-237-2, boasting a .571 winning percentage and never experiencing a losing season. Her exceptional contributions were further recognized with her induction into the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame in 2006.
Bottge and the team showed resilience in her final season, posting their best record in Florida Tech history, 33-15. They also earned a spot in the NCAA South Region poll for the first time in school history. As the season drew to a close, in her second-to-last game of her career, she earned her 500th collegiate win. That victory helped the Panthers record a program-best .688 winning percentage.
After five straight seasons with 25 wins or more, she again guided the Panthers to a 30-win season in 2003. The team saw two players make an All-SSC team.
From 1996-1997, Bottge's strategic guidance led the Panthers to two consecutive 30-win seasons, a feat that has yet to be achieved. Her coaching also produced the program's first-ever All-American, SSC and Florida Tech Athletics Hall of Famer Elisa Bartolo, a testament to her ability to nurture and develop talent.
She made an immediate impact when she came to Melbourne in 1995, as the Panthers improved from a 9-33 record the previous year to a winning 27-22 record with seven starters from the last year in her lineup.
Prior to arriving at Florida Tech, Bottge coached for 10 years at Bloomfield College in Bloomfield, New Jersey.
