Florida softball assistant coach Aric Thomas was named a finalist for the D1Softball 2026 National Assistant Coach of the Year by the publication on Wednesday morning.
Thomas enters his 10th season with the Gators, leading the development of the program’s hitters and outfielders while spearheading recruiting efforts. Under his tutelage, Florida’s offense remained one of the nation’s most dominant in 2026, setting single-season program records for batting average (.356), on-base percentage (.455), hits (618), doubles (120) and total bases (1,076).
The Gators also established a program record for power, with seven different players recording double-digit home runs for the first time in school history. Florida’s hitters slugged a combined 110 home runs in 2026, marking the third consecutive season with 100 or more home runs — another first in program history.
Thomas has also played a key role in consistently bringing top talent to Gainesville. Florida’s current freshman class, consisting of Shayla Bahr, Kennedy Bradley, Nina Carcone, Liliana Escobar, Brooklyn Gidley, Avery Killian and Caroline Stanton, was ranked second nationally by both Softball America and D1Softball.
The D1Softball National Assistant Coach of the Year, as well as the Pitching Coach of the Year, will be announced on Aug. 31.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida’s Aric Thomas a National Assistant Coach of the Year finalist
Reporting by Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire / Gators Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Adam Dubbin, Gators Wire | USA TODAY Network
