Michael Alford: Impact of first 6 months as FSU Athletic Director
By Kelvin Hunt
FSU Softball
FSU softball coach Lonnie Alameda has turned the softball program into a national powerhouse, winning a national title in 2018 and playing for another one in 2021.
The softball program set a record for wins in 2022 with 54, and was the No. 2 overall national seed for the postseason and won the ACC Tournament.
That success made Alameda one of the most sought-after softball coaches in the nation, and when Texas A&M came calling, Michael Alford reacted quickly, signing Alameda to another extension on top of the extension she signed last year.
It was smart move on two fronts. It showed he understood the value of Lonnie Alameda to FSU softball, not to mention he couldn’t afford to lose two of the best long-tenured coaches at FSU in his first few months on the job.
The move also continued to prove FSU athletics isn’t broke like folks like to speculate.
FSU can be competitive with most major universities, but it’s not going to spend money unwisely. However, had he lost Alameda, that would have been a real blackeye from a perception standpoint early in his tenure.