On March 3, Pasco-Hernando State College named Lyndon Coleman as the school’s new athletic director. Coleman, who was already the head coach of PHSC’s baseball program, will remain in the role while succeeding Steve Winterling as the state college’s fourth athletic director.
A former student-athlete for the Bobcats, Coleman played under Winterling during the 2009 and 2010 campaigns. Coleman excelled during his two seasons, earning All-Suncoast Conference honors while helping PHSC win a then-school-record 37 games.
He continued to play into college for the Barry University Bucs. During the 2011 season, his squad finished first place in the Sunshine State Conference with a 20-4 record.
The new athletic director made several stops over his decade-plus-long coaching career. He would go on to coach at Barry University, St. Petersburg College, and several collegiate summer ball teams before returning to PHSC in 2016.
During his 10 total seasons as the Bobcats’ recruiting coordinator and assistant baseball coach, his teams racked up a grand total of 317 wins. 214 of these victories were as the head coach of the baseball team, with Coleman nabbing win number 200 on January 28 of this year.
His accolades include winning four Coach of the Year titles (2019 NJCAA D2 Southeast District) and a trio of Sun-Lakes Conference Coach of the Year awards from 2022-2024. He led the program to three straight Sun-Lakes Conference Championships as well.
Coach Coleman’s influence on the program was immediate as he led the Bobcats to a third-place finish at the NJCAA DII World Series. His impact has also been significant with more than 10 players advancing to four-year schools, many of which are Division 1.
Another critical piece of the equation is not just managing athletes but students as well. His leadership has resulted in more than 10 student-athletes graduating per year while maintaining at least a 3.0 GPA during his time as the Bobcats’ head baseball coach.
PHSC’s athletic director has also played a large role in facility upgrades at the college. From getting a new baseball irrigation system and field turf installed, to the installation of LED Musco field lighting (donated by Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative), to raising $300,000 through donations and other events, Coleman has been instrumental in the growth of Pasco-Hernando’s baseball program.
More than that, though, Coach Coleman has also participated in ongoing community service, including cleaning up roadsides in Pasco County, the Rotary of Seven Springs County Club, and USA Baseball.
“What Lyndon has done with the baseball program over the past several years is a model for what we would like to see across PHSC Athletics,” said Jesse Pisors, Ed.D., PHSC president. “That, probably more than anything else, is what made it clear to me that Lyndon Coleman was the right person to follow Steve Winterling in this role. He also has been a great coach, and since the athletic director is the ‘leader of coaches,’ his model work as a head coach gives him a particular leadership strength in this aspect of his new job.”
