KISSIMMEE, Fla. | The USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro Fastpitch league (NPF) has named University of North Georgia head softball coach Mike Davenport as its head coach for the upcoming season.  Davenport was a member of the Cowles Cup Championship staff of the Pride in 2014 as the assistant coach.   

Davenport is in his 15th season at the helm of the UNG softball program. The Nighthawk skipper has coached 16 All-Americans and has been named Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year on four separate occasions, including last season.

"I am extremely honored and humbled to help lead this group of young women and to be a part once again of the USSSA Pride organization," Davenport said.  "I am excited to have the opportunity once again to work with some of the best softball players in the world and alongside another great coaching staff.  I am very thankful to Don DeDonatis and Gordon Glennie for the opportunity to work with the USSSA Pride, which is highly recognized in the world of fastpitch softball and I look forward to representing the organization again." 

A native of DuQuoin, Illinois and a 1994 graduate of the University of Florida, Davenport has built a culture of championships at the University of North Georgia winning eight conference titles, seven conference tournament titles, three regional championships and three trips to the NCAA Division II Championship.  Davenport has recorded an overall record of 622-189 (.767) during his tenure as skipper at UNG.

In 2010, Davenport led North Georgia to a 51-game winning streak, the second longest in NCAA history. The Nighthawks entered the College World Series with a perfect record of 50-0 that season. UNG has reached perfection in conference play twice under the guidance of Davenport, posting 20-0 records in 2003 and 2010.

"We are looking forward to Mike returning to our staff as the head coach. He's very familiar with our players and our organization having coached last year. He has a wealth of experience in the head coaching position and does a very good job managing players and the game," said Pride General Manager Don DeDonatis.

During the 2014 NPF season, Davenport held the assistant coaching position of the USSSA Florida Pride helping them to a 36-16 overall record which saw the Pride win the NPF Regular Season Championship as well as the 2014 Cowles Cup.  The 2014 Pride also garnered individual player post-season honors: Player of the Year Andrea Duran, Pitcher of the Year Cat Osterman and Rookie of the Year, Madison Shipman.

The NPF will expand to five teams this season with the addition of an expansion team in Texas, the Dallas Charge. The USSSA Florida Pride are based out of Kissimmee, Florida and split their home games between Osceola County Stadium, the Houston Astros spring training stadium and Champion Stadium at Disney's Wide World of Sports, the Atlanta Braves spring training stadium. The league also holds neutral site games throughout the country and caps off the season with the NPF Championship Series at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.