Chipola College is a state college located in Marianna, Florida, United States. It is a member institution of the Florida College System. In 2012 the school opened a $16 million 56,000 square foot center for the arts, including two theaters.
History
Chipola College -
Founded in 1947 as Chipola Junior College, the name was changed in 2003 with the inception of several bachelor's degree programs.
Campus
The college was named for the Chipola River, which is located less than a mile from the campus.
Academics
The college offers BSc degree programs, A.A. degrees, A.S. degrees, College Credit Certificate programs, and Workforce Development Certificates.
Student life
The Brain Bowl team has won six state championships and three national championships under coach Stan Young and assistant coach Robert Dunkle.
Sports
The school is noted for its athletic program, which competes in the Panhandle Conference of the Florida State College Activities Association, a body of the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 8. The baseball program counts among its alumni former Texas Rangers manager Buck Showalter and World Baseball Classic standout Adam Loewen, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Mat Gamel, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder José Bautista, and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin. The men's basketball program was once home to Auburn standout Chris Porter, Oklahoma State player Mario Boggan, Arkansas' Jesse Pate, Missouri's Stefhon Hannah, and Indiana's JaMarcus Ellis and DeAndre Thomas.
The men's basketball program has won more state basketball championships under one coach (seven for Milton H. Johnson) and in total (nine) than any other junior-college basketball program in Florida. In the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons it finished fifth and third in the nation, respectively, and in 2005 received its first-ever No. 1 national ranking. In 2004-05, the basketball program won state championships in both men's and women's basketball. The women's basketball team repeated its state championship in 2005-06, finishing fourth in the nation. In 2006-07, the men's and women's teams both won the state championship. To finish the 2007 season, the men's program finished 33-3 with a runner-up finish in the NJCAA National Championship game. During that season, the Indians were ranked #1 in the national poll for 10 straight weeks.
Notable alumni
Chipola College has produced thousands of alumni over the years. Among the more notable alumni of Chipola College are current Major League Baseball manager Buck Showalter, Florida Supreme Court Justice Ricky Polston, and Russell Martin, an all-star MLB catcher currently playing for the Toronto Blue Jays.
References
External links
- Chipola College