Florida Tech Athletics to Install Artificial Turf at Rick Stottler Field, Varsity Training Center

Stottler posted incredible 190-66-12 record during his 14-years at Florida Tech

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Florida Tech Athletics will install an artificial playing surface at Rick Stottler Field and the Varsity Training Center Field, the home of Florida Tech soccer and lacrosse.

Coach Stottler guided two Florida Tech men’s soccer teams to national titles and was honored with a posthumous induction into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Stottler’s .731 winning percentage with the Panthers is among the best of all time in the history of NCAA Division II men’s college soccer.

The removal of the field’s previous grass and worn turf will begin at the end of April.

The installation of the state-of-the-art Shaw Legion NXT 2.0 synthetic turf with a natural GeoFill infill and NXT Play pad is expected to be complete by mid-July.

“We appreciate the commitment of the administration and Board of Trustees to our athletic program to increase our competitiveness within the Sunshine State Conference through the addition of turfing Rick Stottler Field and installing new turf on the VTC practice field,” said Director of Athletics Jamie Joss.

“These fields will enhance our scholar-athlete experience for our soccer and lacrosse programs providing elite-level on-campus competition and practice facilities.”

Installing artificial surfaces will allow the fields to be utilized on a far more regular basis.

The new surfaces will expand opportunities for Florida Tech scholar-athletes and teams to train and practice and will meet the International Federation of Association Football Certification requirements.

Rick Stottler Field will be lined seasonally for the sport in their championship segment, while the VTC Field will be lined for the sport in their non-championship segment.

Additionally, it will allow for more field access opportunities for club and intramural sports programs. Financially, the installation of an artificial surface will decrease expenses associated with maintaining a natural field.

Florida Tech Athletics is partnering with Melbourne-based Legacy Sports Surfacing to complete the project.

“We at Legacy Sports Surfacing are extremely excited to build this incredible playing surface,” said CEO Patrick Ross.

“It is one of the best systems on the market that utilizes cutting-edge technology to provide a safe and high-performing field that will last many years. The Florida Institute of Technology is truly committed to giving their athletes the best experience possible.”

The $2.8 million project includes Shaw Legion NXT 2.0 synthetic turf, a hybrid system that offers a realistic aesthetic with an electrifying degree of durability.

This system is built for strength, built for pushing the envelope and providing endurance through even the toughest of matchups. It is 20 percent more robust and shows minimal signs of wear up to 80,000 lisport cycles.

The field will also be fitted with Shaw Sports Turf’s most popular infill material, Geofill. Geofill is 100% natural and plays naturally, resulting in a perfect balance of Vertical Deformation, Rotational Resistance, and Energy Restitution.

The Geofill infill used in the system is made of coconut husks and fibers, which is a rapidly renewable resource. The infill requires much less water than natural grass, thus resulting in significant levels of conservation.

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Rick Stottler guided two Florida Tech men’s soccer teams to national titles, but that’s not his only legacy in Brevard County, as he has been honored with a posthumous induction into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

RICHARD STOTTLER – 2012 INDUCTEE: NCAA Coach of the Year, Two National Champions, All-Time Soccer Coach Great

AMONG THE BEST OF ALL TIME

As head soccer coach of the Florida Tech Panthers, Stottler posted an incredible record of 190-66-12 during his 14-year tenure as the coach. The .731 winning percentage is among the best of all time in the history of NCAA Division II men’s college soccer.

In 1988, Florida Tech won the NCAA Division II National Championship, defeating host school Cal State Northridge 3-2. The team finished with a 15-6 record.

The Panthers won the national title again in 1991, trouncing Sonoma State 5-1 on Florida Tech’s old home field on campus. Stottler’s Panthers finished an impressive 19-2-1 record that season.

NCAA COACH OF THE YEAR, TECH HALL OF FAMER

Stottler was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 1991, the South Region Coach of the Year in 1991 and the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in both 1988 and 1989.

He was inducted into the Florida Tech Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2001-2002, Stottler was inducted into the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame with rival coaches Adrian Bush of Tampa and Sam Koleduk of Saint Leo.

At the urging of Florida Tech vice president, and former Florida Lt. Governor Tom Adams, Stottler became Florida Tech’s soccer coach in 1986.

Stottler, a keen judge of talent, and with the help of his assistant coach, native Brit Giles Malone, recruited several players from the United Kingdom and other foreign countries to play soccer for the Panthers during his 14-year tenure as the head coach.

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