Mercy University Athletics

Mike Fazio was named head coach of the softball program prior to the 2011 season after serving two seasons as an assistant coach.

Fazio led the Mavericks to their first ECC Tournament appearance since 2018 in 2021. The Mavericks went 17-14 and had a school-record seven named to the ECC All-Conference Teams. 

In 2020, Fazio led the Mavericks to a 5-5 record with the season shortened due to COVID-19. Mercy started 3-1 which was their best start since 2017. 

Fazio guided the Mavericks to 24 wins in 2019. Under his tutelage, sophomore Hannah Mueller was named D2CCA All-American Honorable Mention and was named All-Region along with senior Mikayla Newham. Mueller, Newham and Stevens were named All-ECC and Mercy posted 20 or more wins for the fourth straight year.

In 2018, Fazio led the Mavericks to a 31-17 record, appearing in the ECC Tournament for the second straight year just missing out on an NCAA Tournament appearance. Mercy had five All-ECC selections, three All-Region selections and one CoSIDA Academic All-District selection. 

The 2017 season saw the Mavericks qualify for the ECC Tournament for the third time under Fazio. Mercy won a school-record 33 games and won the ECC Championship for the first time ever, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Mavericks won the ECC Regular Season Title, earning the No. 1 seed in the ECC Tournament and had a school-record seven ECC All-Conference selections with Fazio being named Coach of the Year.

In 2013, Fazio guided his squad to 26 victories, which broke the record established just the year before. His teams have compiled the second-most wins in program history. The 2013 Mavericks also made their second appearance in the East Coast Conference Championship in three years. He has coached six All-ECC selections and four All-Region honorees.  Fazio's squads have excelled in the classroom as well, earning numerous NFCA Academic All-American honors and regularly ranking among the leaders in the department in team GPA and Academic Honor Roll recipients.

Fazio led the 2012 squad to a then school-record 25 wins, marking the fourth straight improvement over the previous year.  The Mavericks have had at least one All-ECC First Team selection for each of the past three years and an All-ECC selection for five straight years.

Taking charge of the Mavericks following a 19-win season in 2010 that was the best since 1985 and included eight ECC victories, Fazio promptly improved on those totals with an impressive 21-23 season with a 14-14 mark in ECC play. The team qualified in fourth for its first ECC Championship, advancing to Game Five of the double-elimination tournament before bowing out to Dowling College, which the Mavericks had already beaten in Game Two.

Fazio came to Mercy with over 25 years of softball coaching experience. His most recent position was at Joel Barlow High School (Redding, Conn.) where he was a varsity assistant softball coach. From 1996-2007, Fazio was the assistant coach at Danbury High School in Danbury, Conn., where he helped guide the Hatters to nine postseason appearances and twice reached the semi-finals in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference (FCIAC). He also was an assistant coach for Danbury's varsity girls’ basketball program.

Fazio has had success heading travel tournament teams as well. He coached the U-14 Danbury Debs in the U-14 Pony National Tournament, guided the U-23 Danbury Debs to several tournament championships and took the U-18 Western Connecticut Firebirds to two national tournament appearances. He also coached in the Danbury Women's Fast Pitch Softball League and captured a division or tournament championship in all but one season from 1980-1991.

He received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Iona College and resides in Danbury, Conn. with his wife Carol.