Florida Tech Panthers football


The Florida Tech Panthers football program was the intercollegiate American football team for the Florida Institute of Technology located in the U.S. state of Florida. The team competed in the NCAA Division II and was a member of the Gulf South Conference. Florida Tech's first football team was fielded in 2013, and the final team was fielded in 2019. Steve Englehart was the first and only head coach.
In May 2020, Florida Tech shut down its football program due to budget cuts that followed the COVID-19 pandemic.

Venues

The team played its home games in Florida Tech Panther Stadium at Palm Bay High School in Melbourne, Florida. In July 2015, Florida Tech bought naming rights to the stadium; prior to this, the facility was known as Pirate Stadium.

All-time record vs. current Gulf South Conference opponents

Official record against all current GSC opponents:
Delta State34Lost 12013
Mississippi College51Lost 12014
North Greenville31Won 32016
Shorter70Won 72013
Valdosta State16Lost 32013
West Alabama34Lost 22013
West Florida13Lost 12016
West Georgia34Won 12013
Totals2623

All-time record vs. non-conference opponents

$ North Alabama was a member of the Gulf South Conference for the matchups between 2013 and 2017

All-time record vs. ranked opponents

Florida Tech was 6–16 all-time against ranked opponents with two of those wins coming against Top 5 teams in the 2015 season, at #5 Delta State and at home against #1 West Georgia. Two of the losses were to ranked FCS teams, in 2014 at Bethune-Cookman and 2015 at Southeast Louisiana. The Panthers won at least one game against a ranked opponent in every season between 2014 and 2018.
2013September 19, 2013West Alabama#16L 3–45
2013October 5, 2013at Valdosta State#1L 14–52
2013November 9, 2013North Alabama#24L 28–55
2014September 20, 2014^ Tarleton State#12W 37–31
2014September 27, 2014at Bethune-Cookman#15 L 33–34
2014October 2, 2014Delta State#11L 20–58
2014October 18, 2014North Alabama#4L 31–34
2014November 15, 2014Valdosta State#25L 29–31
2015September 12, 2015at Southeastern Louisiana#18 L 17–28
2015September 26, 2015at North Alabama#8L 48–55
2015October 3, 2015at Delta State#5W 41–37
2015November 7, 2015West Georgia#1W 28–26
2015November 14, 2015at Valdosta State#18L 21–39
2016October 29, 2016Valdosta State#14W 38–20
2017October 21, 2017West Alabama#18W 41–39
2017November 4, 2017West Georgia#25L 13–20
2018September 22, 2018at West Georgia#8L 21–30
2018October 13, 2018Valdosta State#8L 21–51
2018October 20, 2018at West Florida#17W 30–28
2018November 17, 2018&at Lenoir-Rhyne#17L 21–43
2019October 19, 2019at Valdosta State#1L 28–55
2019October 26, 2019West Florida#20L 14–38

^ game was played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
& playoff game

Rivalries

West Florida

Florida Tech played West Florida each year in the Coastal Classic, a matchup of the only Division II football programs in the state of Florida. The winner was awarded the Coastal Classic Trophy. The trophy stands 24 inches tall on a six-inch wooden base. It features a large bronze anchor and a 6-pointed ship's wheel with nautical sailing rope as the focal point of the trophy. A small bell is attached to the anchor with a white segment of sailing rope attached to its clapper.
West Florida won the series' first installment during their inaugural season of 2016, upsetting the 16th ranked Panthers, 42–39 in Pensacola. The following year in Melbourne, a controversial intentional grounding penalty against Florida Tech on fourth down on what would have been the game's final play gave West Florida the ball for one play to attempt and convert a 44-yard field goal for a 23–21 victory. Florida Tech got its revenge along with its first ever win against West Florida in memorable fashion in 2018, rallying from a 21–3 first-half deficit to score 27 straight points and hold on to beat the 17th ranked Argonauts, 30–28.

All-time records versus rivals

West Florida420162019 Lost 14–3813

Individual awards and honors

All-Americans

Florida Tech has had 18 players honored as All-Americans. To date, Adonis Davis is the only AP First Team All-American and J.T. Hassell is the only AFCA First Team All-American.
  • J.T. Hassell – Linebacker, 2018,
  • Adonis Davis – Defensive Lineman, 2018, 2017,,
  • Romell Guerrier – Wide Receiver, 2018
  • Antwuan Haynes – Running Back, 2016, 2015
  • Kenny Johnston – Tight End, 2016, 2015
  • Chris Stapleton - Linebacker, 2016
  • Gabe Hughes – Tight End, 2015, 2014
  • J.J. Sanders – Linebacker, 2015, 2014
  • T.J. Lowder – Wide Receiver, 2015
  • Kevin Delgado – Right Guard, 2015
  • Manny Abad – Cornerback, 2015
  • Leo Alba II – Cornerback, 2015
  • Matt Garcia – Left Tackle, 2015, 2014
  • Blake Stone – Center, 2015
  • Xavier Milton – Wide Receiver, 2014
  • Mark Cato – Quarterback, 2014
  • Trevor Sand – Running Back, 2014
  • Ramsey Sellers – Center, 2014

Conference honors

Notable former players

Year-by-year results

NCAA Division I championsNCAA Division I FCS championsNCAA Division II championsConference ChampionsDivision ChampionsBowl EligibleUndefeated Season

Playoffs

The Panthers appeared in the Division II playoffs twice. Their playoff record is 0–2.
FIT earned their first playoff berth in 2016, the fourth season in program history. Their 8–2 record earned them the #3 seed in Super Region Two and a first-round home game only to be upset by North Greenville, 27–13.
They returned to the playoffs two seasons later, earning the #6 seed in Super Region Two on the strength of an 8–3 record. They were again knocked out in the first round, this time at third-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne, 43–21.
2016Steve EnglehartFirst RoundNorth GreenvilleL 13–27
2018Steve EnglehartFirst Roundat Lenoir-RhyneL 21–43

Bowl games

The Panthers played in one bowl game, the 2013 ECAC Futures Bowl, which happened at the conclusion of their inaugural season against fellow first-year program Alderson-Broaddus in Philippi, West Virginia. The Panthers won that game, 32–20, on a snowy afternoon thanks to 295 passing yards and four touchdowns from Bobby Vega along with Xavier Milton's 14 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
2013Steve EnglehartECAC Futures BowlW 32–20