Coaches

Tim Walton

Tim Walton has established Florida softball as a national powerhouse as he finished his 17th year at the helm of the Gators squad. Walton reached a historic milestone during the Gators 2022 campaign as he became the second fastest head coach to reach 1,000 career NCAA Division I softball victories with 2-1 (9 inning) win at LSU on May 1. In addition, Walton led the Gators to its 11th overall Women's College World Series appearance after the Orange & Blue defeated No.3-seed Virginia Tech in Blacksburg during the NCAA Super Regional round.


In 2021, Walton led the program to a Southeastern Conference leading ninth regular season championship. In addition, the Gators won the SEC Regular Season Championship five out of the last six opportunities.


During the 2019 season, the Gators became back-to-back SEC Tournament Champions for the second time in program history and Walton navigated the program through a shortened 2020 campaign due to COVID-19 with a 23-4, 3-0 SEC record and a No. 7 national ranking.


With an incredible record of 888-201 (.815) at Florida, the five-time SEC Coach of the Year has led the Orange and Blue to 362 school records and numerous other SEC records, and his squads have earned various firsts for the Gator softball program. By the end of the 2008 season, the Gators had set the NCAA single-season record for wins (70) and the SEC single-season record (27). In 2018, the program set the NCAA record for walks (360) in a season and most recently set the UF program record for stolen bases (132).


In 2018, Florida became only the second SEC program to win four straight SEC Regular Season Championships and now holds a league leading nine titles, eight of which have come under Walton’s guidance. In 2017, Walton and his staff earned their fifth NFCA Southeast Coaching Staff of the Year award and the team finished the season leading the nation in ERA (0.81) and fielding percentage (.985) for the second consecutive season.


With back-to-back national titles in 2014 and 2015, Walton’s Gators are one of only four teams to have achieved the feat in consecutive seasons.


The five time SEC Coach of the Year recipient, has led his squads to 16 NCAA Regional appearances, 14 Super Regionals, 11 Women’s College World Series berths, eight SEC Regular Season Championships and five SEC Tournament Championships. From 2006 to 2018, the Orange & Blue appeared in a nation’s best five WCWS championship series appearances. That success led to a 2015 NFCA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year award and five NFCA Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year selections.


Under Walton’s tutelage, Gator softball student-athletes have earned 47 NFCA All-American honors, 69 All-SEC honors, two USA Softball Player of the Year recipients, three Honda Award winners, 10 SEC Player & Pitcher of the Year honorees and one NFCA Freshman of the Year.


The Gators have not only excelled on the field but in the classroom as well under Walton. Since 2006, Florida student-athletes have achieved 19 CoSIDA Academic All-American honors, 127 appearances on the SEC Academic Honor Roll and 55 SEC Academic Honor Roll First-Year recipients.


Prior to arriving at Florida, he took Wichita State to the NCAA Tournament in 2005 where his team finished with a school single-season record 46 wins (46-18). After three seasons with the Shockers he amassed a record of 123-64.


Walton has been a part of national championship teams as a baseball player, an assistant softball coach and a head softball coach. Before heading to take his first head coaching position at Wichita State, Walton served as an assistant softball coach for the University of Oklahoma, as the hitting coach and outfielders coach. In his four seasons at OU, the Sooners won three Big 12 titles and made three consecutive WCWS appearances, including winning the 2000 NCAA title.


Outside the collegiate ranks, Walton has continuously prepared his student-athletes for success. So far, 14 Gators have went on to play in National Pro Fastpitch league and nine players have been selected to various national teams including the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico.


After graduating from Oklahoma with a degree in history, Walton played in the Philadelphia Phillies organization from 1995-97.


Walton is married to the former Samantha Rhoten, who was a basketball player at Oral Roberts. The couple has two sons, Brooks and Palmer, and a daughter, Camden.