Travis Rae
Contributor
Mercer Director of Athletics Jim Cole announced the hiring of Lindsay Fico as the new head softball coach on Wednesday, June 30.
Fico is a teacher of the game and has been involved in coaching since the conclusion of her playing days at the University of Florida and has been the head coach at Santa Fe College for the last three seasons.
“I want to welcome Lindsay, Damon and Damon Jr. to the Mercer family,” Director of Athletics Jim Cole stated. “I enjoyed getting to know Lindsay during the selection process and can’t wait for her to take the helm of the softball program.”
“I am excited to join the Mercer family and extremely grateful to Mr. Cole and the hiring committee for the opportunity to help grow the softball program,” remarked Fico. “I look forward to fostering a culture of winning on the field and in the classroom, and I will strive to create a family atmosphere that all past, present and future Mercer Bears are proud to be a part of. My mission is to elevate Mercer softball to being an annual competitor for the SoCon championship and to develop our athletes to win with passion, integrity and sportsmanship. We have a very talented roster, both with returning players and new players coming in. I've had a chance to talk to many of them and they seem excited. We're going to try our best to become part of the conversation in the conference.”
During the 2021 season, Fico led the Saints to a 31-16 record and the school’s 16th all-time appearance in the FCSAA State Tournament, their first since 2017. The Saints went 20-1 when playing on their home field, which included a Mid-Florida Conference Tournament Championship. Following the season, the team garnered six Mid-Florida Conference Awards. The awards continued to roll in as Santa Fe had three players earn FCSAA All-State/All-NJCAA Region 8 honors when pitcher Taylor Barrett joined catcher Neely Peterson and infielder Grace Prom on the second team. Infielder Story Giebeig was selected to the FCSAA State All-Tournament Team.
In 2020, which was cut short, the Saints finished the year with a record of 16-14. Fico’s team improved in every offensive category from the previous year and scored 159 runs in 30 games, hitting 18 home runs and batting .274 on the season.
“I look forward to Lindsay and Damon joining the Mercer family,” Deputy AD/Academic Affairs Sybil Blalock said. “Lindsay brings both an energy and passion for the game that is inspiring to those around her. Under her guidance, I believe we will be able to celebrate the successes of our student-athletes both on and off the field.”
In Fico's first season, the Saints finished the season with a 23-28 record. Santa Fe improved its position in the conference, nearly doubling its conference victories to 11. The Saints fell to FSCJ in postseason play landing them in fourth place in a very competitive Mid-Florida Conference. Fico’s team also made strides in the classroom. The 2019 team GPA improved to a 3.0 and all eight sophomores graduated with their associate’s degree. The Saints had 10 Mid-Florida Scholar-Athletes, eight NJCAA All-Academic honorees and 10 athletes named to the FCSAA All-Academic Team.
Fico started her coaching career by giving individual lessons upon graduating from Florida in 2006, which was the catalyst that led to coaching. Along with giving individual lessons for the last 13 years, Fico has spearheaded many softball clinics and camps over the years within the greater Gainesville area.
She coached a Santa Fe Inferno travel team for six years before being hired at Santa Fe College. During her time leading the Inferno, Fico helped propel her team to be one of the best in the state. They competed at the highest level, and she helped many players reach their goal of playing college softball through the relationships she has built within the coaching community.
Her first head coaching experience came in 2014 with a Santa Fe All-Star team hoping to make a run in the Babe Ruth World Series. She started with the team as a hitting coach, but that quickly progressed, and they finished third amongst more than 30 teams across the nation.
A 2006 graduate from the University of Florida, Fico earned her Bachelor of Science in public relations. Fico (formerly Norfleet) played in 206 games for the Gators. She was primarily an infielder under Coach Tim Walton. Her versatility and willingness to do whatever was needed for the team also made her a favorite among her teammates, and she was elected a co-captain of the 2006 team.
Fico is married to Damon Fico, who was her high school sweetheart. They have one child Damon “DC” Fico Jr. She is the daughter of Mike and Nida Norfleet, of Madison.