Jacksonville, Florida-Mike Ellison has had the interim tag removed and has been officially named the permanent head softball coach at Edward Waters University, announced Associate Vice President/Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Dr. Ivana Rich Thursday morning.

Ellison becomes the eighth full-time head coach in the modern era history of the Edward Waters softball program.

As interim head coach in 2023, Ellison led the Lady Tigers to a 43-7 overall record, a new program record for victories and the only HBCU softball program in the country to eclipse the 40+ victory mark. Additionally, in their first full season competing as a member of the SIAC, Ellison led the squad to a 19-3 conference mark, the SIAC East Division Championship, an unblemished mark in the SIAC Softball Championship Tournament which culminated in the program's first tournament championship since the 2015 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, and their second consecutive HBCU Division II Softball National Championship. For his efforts at the tournament, Ellison was selected as the 2023 Cricket SIAC Softball Championship Coach of the Tournament.

Ellison initially came to EWU in 2022 as the pitching coach under then head coach Brian Daley. Since Ellison came to Edward Waters, the Lady Tigers pitching staff's earned run average (ERA) has dramatically dropped from 3.31 in 2022, to an impressive 1.43. Ellison was also instrumental in the development of pitcher Jodasea Peterson, who was selected as a Second Team All-SIAC member, the SIAC Tournament's Player of the Tournament, and a Minority Softball Prospects All-Star Game selection.

Offensively in 2023, Ellison led Edward Waters to a .305 batting average with 401 hits, 275 runs scored, 15 home runs, and 220 RBIs as a team. Ellison's coaching aggressive style on the basepaths also wreaked havoc last season, with the Lady Tigers combining for 155 stolen bases.

Prior to coming to Edward Waters, Ellison has been a pitching coach and instructor since 1990 for several middle and high school team around Northeast Florida. Ellison is also the founder and Creator of Pure Power Pitching. He has instructed over 2000 different softball players in his career, several of which have gone on to play at Division II. high Division and professional softball levels.

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