Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan takes leave of absence

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan will take a leave of absence from his coaching duties to address personal matters, effective immediately. The school announced the news on Wednesday.

During O’Sullivan’s absence, Chuck Jeroloman will lead the baseball program on an interim basis. The Gators are currently in fall ball and have their first exhibition game on Oct 31 at Jacksonville.

“I appreciate the support of the University and athletic department,” O’Sullivan said in a statement. “I have some personal and family issues that need my full attention at this time.”

O’Sullivan is in his 19th year at Florida and has a 756–371 record with one national title and a runner-up finish in 2023. He faces a three-game suspension to open the 2026 season for his pregame incident at the 2025 NCAA Conway Regional.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin also released a statement on O’Sullivan’s leave of absence.

“Coach O’Sullivan has our full support as he takes the time he needs to focus on personal matters,” Stricklin said. “We appreciate his openness in communicating this decision and respect his need for privacy.”

Kevin O’Sullivan suspended

On Aug. 29, Stricklin suspended O’Sullivan for the first three games of the 2026 season “as a result of his actions” at the 2025 NCAA Conway Regional.

“The suspension announced today reinforces Florida Athletics’ commitment to our standards, with Coach O’Sullivan accepting full responsibility for his behavior,” Stricklin said in a release. “Sully has vowed to learn from the experience and serve as a better leader moving forward.”

Additionally, the Division I Baseball Committee issued a public reprimand of O’Sullivan for “aggressive behavior and profanity-laced language directed at a variety of individuals before a game at the Conway regional June 1,” the committee stated in its own release.

“The committee determined during a meeting in late June that O’Sullivan’s actions were misconduct per NCAA Bylaw 31.02.4. As defined in the bylaw, misconduct in an NCAA championship is ‘any act of dishonesty, unsportsmanlike conduct, unprofessional behavior or breach of law, occurring from the time the championship field is announced through the end of the championship, that discredits the event or intercollegiate athletics.’”

At the 2025 NCAA Conway Regional, O’Sullivan got into a heated exchange with NCAA officials regarding the time change for UF’s elimination game. Florida’s game was scheduled for noon ET but moved to 1 p.m. because of East Carolina playing late the night before.

Kevin O’Sullivan apology

Video emerged of O’Sullivan berating two individuals, presumably the NCAA site reps. UF then lost the game 11-4 to end its season. Not long after the incident, O’Sullivan issued the following apology.

“Prior to yesterday’s NCAA Tournament game against East Carolina, I let my emotions get the best of me and channeled that energy in a way I should not have,” O’Sullivan said in a statement released by UF on social media. “I want to sincerely apologize for my actions and behavior to the entire NCAA Regional field of Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and Fairfield, the NCAA – including site representatives Rick French and Mark Scalf – as well as all of Gator Nation.

I did not represent the University of Florida to the appropriate standard yesterday and take full responsibility for that, and promise to learn from this experience and be better moving forward; I appreciate all of the tireless efforts on behalf of host Coastal Carolina, their Tournament Director Bryan Stiles, and the NCAA over the course of NCAA Regionals, and am sorry for allowing this instance to get in the way of an otherwise great weekend of postseason baseball.”

Florida went 39-22 last season. The Gators have won nine NCAA Super Regionals under O’Sullivan’s direction, while also claiming 10 NCAA Regional titles and the 2017 national championship.