Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan remains in charge of the Gators baseball program despite mounting public criticism following an on-field tirade during NCAA Regional play that prompted public statements from both O’Sullivan and athletic director Scott Stricklin.
The incident occurred Sunday at Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina, prior to Florida’s elimination game against East Carolina. Upset that the game start time had been delayed by an hour to accommodate East Carolina’s recovery from a late Saturday game, O’Sullivan unleashed a profanity-laced outburst at tournament officials and Coastal Carolina staff.
The outburst was captured on video and circulated widely, leading Coastal head coach Kevin Schnall to condemn the behavior postgame. Schnall called O’Sullivan a “bully,” saying the Florida coach had disrespected Coastal’s associate athletic director and field crew, describing the incident as “absolutely unacceptable.”
O’Sullivan initially refused to apologize when asked after Florida’s 11-4 loss to East Carolina, saying only that he had “handled it properly.” However, following a meeting with Stricklin, the University of Florida released official statements from both men on Monday evening.
Official Statements from AD Scott Stricklin and Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan pic.twitter.com/487NldAy8j
— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) June 2, 2025
Stricklin echoed the disappointment:
“Coach O’Sullivan’s actions fell well short of expectations of how Gators treat people,” Stricklin wrote. “One of our department’s core values is respect, and his unacceptable actions failed to demonstrate that.”
Despite the apology, backlash has continued. Hall of Famer Chipper Jones posted Tuesday night that he would no longer support teams “whose coaches don’t respect the game or their opponents,” explicitly praising Schnall’s leadership while condemning “disgraceful” conduct.
Lotta speculation on who i was speaking of in my post last night. So let’s get it outta the way. I was disappointed in how UF coach Sully handled the situation of the time change in the CC region. I felt it could have been addressed differently. As I sat with my UGA alum friend,…
— Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) June 5, 2025
Florida was eliminated from the Conway Regional after two blowout losses to East Carolina and a brief win over Fairfield. The Gators finish the season at 39-22 and failed to reach the Super Regional for the third straight time. The season collapse and public scrutiny have cast uncertainty over O’Sullivan’s long-term standing with the program, though he remains in his position as of this week.
Florida has since landed two players in the transfer portal — Notre Dame pitcher Ricky Reeth and JUCO catcher AJ Malzone — with O’Sullivan still leading recruiting efforts heading into the offseason.
This is a developing story as more reactions emerge as the road to Omaha continues.
