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Florida’s Accomplishments under Finley

UF WBK: Kelly Rae Finley Named 11th Women’s Basketball Coach at Florida
As the interim head coach, Finley led the Gators to a 20-9 record and best season since 2015-16.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After guiding Florida women’s basketball to their most successful season since 2016, Kelly Rae Finley will be the 11th head coach in program history, Athletics Director Scott Stricklin announced Monday.

Media availability with Kelly Rae Finley will take place post-game at the SEC Tournament and the next in-person availability will be the week of March 7th.

Finley spent the 2021-22 season acting as the interim head coach for the Gators, leading UF to a 20-win season for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign and the 16th time in the history of the program. Under her command, the Orange & Blue also won 10 Southeastern Conference games for just the fourth time in program history.

Securing the fifth-seed in the SEC Tournament, the Gators defeated five ranked opponents for the first time since the 2005-06 season, including five nationally ranked opponent in the SEC for the first time since 2004. A victory of note, Florida earned their largest margin of victory over a top-10 team when they defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 84-59, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss against an unranked squad since the AP Poll debuted in 1976.

Under her continued tutelage, graduate Kiara Smith continued to improve, leading the team this season with 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game. In SEC play, the District Heights, Md., native averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game, helping her to two SEC Player of the Week honors during the year.

Prior to her time as the interim head coach, Finley held roles as both the associate head coach and assistant coach for the Gators, playing an important role in the development of athletes such as Kiara Smith and Jordyn Merritt. Acting as the main recruiter, Finley played an integral part of rebuilding the roster upon arrival in Gainesville, helping to sign the No. 26 overall recruiting class in the nation in 2019, according to ProspectsNation.

Prior to her time in Florida, Finley recorded stints at Arizona (2016-17), Colorado (2012-16) and Harvard (2009-12). At Arizona, Finley helped to bring in the No. 34 recruiting class in the nation, which included three state players of the year, while also helping Colorado achieve a similar feat with a top-25 nationally-ranked class in 2015.

During her time at Harvard, Finley assisted in the signing of Temitop Fagbenle, the Ivy League’s first ever McDonald’s All-American and second Olympian.

A Minnesota native, Finley graduated from Colorado State in 2008 where she earned Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete honors as a member of the women’s basketball team.

Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin
On Kelly Rae Finley becoming head coach…

“Kelly Rae is such a talented young coach whose natural poise, intelligence and relational abilities have all been on display during this remarkable Gators Women’s Basketball season. I’m excited that she’ll have the opportunity to build off of this year’s success and that future Gators will be able to benefit from her leadership the way this team has.”

Head Coach Kelly Rae Finley
On becoming the next Florida women’s basketball head coach…

“I’m humbled to be given the opportunity to lead our women’s basketball program and I believe that together we will be able to achieve great things. I’m forever grateful for our staff and student-athletes for their dedication to growing this program and I look forward to continuing on this journey.”

On the culture she wants to instill at Florida…
“Within this program, we strive to create a sustainable and competitive environment that encourages collaboration, fosters creativity and empowers our young women to achieve growth and success during their time at Florida and beyond.”

Florida’s Accomplishments under Finley
- First 20-win season since the 2015-16 campaign
- Recorded 10 SEC wins for just the fourth time in program history
- Defeated five ranked opponents for the first time since 2005-06
- Defeated five ranked SEC opponents for the first time since 2004-05
- Won six SEC matchups on the road, the most since the 2000-01 season
- Reached highest rank in the AP Poll since the 2008-09 season, going as high as No. 15
- Earned largest-margin of victory over a top-10 school with an 84-59 victory over No. 7 Tennessee
- The victory over Tennessee was the first time that Florida defeated the Lady Vols by more than 10 points
- Florida handed Tennessee their worst loss against an unranked opponent since the AP Poll debuted in 1976
- Handed No. 23 Kentucky their worst home loss since Jan. 27, 2008 with a 77-52 victory
- Recorded a 19-point comeback at No. 25 Texas A&M to earn the program’s first-ever victory in College Station, Texas
- Won 10 non-conference games for the first time since 2015-16 season

Jordin Fluellen Quick Hitter

Jordin Fluellen
DB
5-10/160
Gainesville FL
Hawthorne HS
24


"It’s great honestly to receive this sort of attention from coach Napier and his staff. When it comes down to picking my top schools Florida would definitely be on the list."

"To me as a player commitment is everything. Staying on top of my academics is my number one opportunity and when I am on the field my mind is strictly in that moment. Putting in as much work as I can to get better on and off the field is a huge part of that."

"The most important thing to me is finding a place that feels like home and also finding somewhere that’ll push me to my fullest potential and help me achieve great things. I am visiting the campus on March 1st, 2022."

"I love to play man to man and be physical at the line of scrimmage and the more I talk to coaches they like guys who can hold it down on that island with a receiver all game and play some off man coverage to. So my game can definitely fit well with the college level."

Insider's Thread: Four-star 2024 Florida LB Adarius Hayes updates recruiting

College programs looking for an enforcer in the box are heading to Largo finding Adarius Hayes. The inside linebacker runs like a safety and hits like a Mack truck tallying 102 stops, 72 solo, with 18 tackles for a loss as a sophomore. The skills against 7A Florida teams have brought 18 offers from top programs like Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma and Penn State. Those talents are ready to get out along the recruiting trail this offseason.

The coaches streaming down to South Florida represent Penn State, Ohio, Louisville, Miami, Iowa, South Florida and Florida. Game-day visits were taken to Iowa for the Nittany Lions meeting and to Florida State for the rivalry game against the Hurricanes. Hayes has a handful of teams he’s ready to see this spring.

“I would love to go to Florida, FAU, Iowa again, Ohio State and I would love to visit Clemson,” Hayes said. “I don’t have an offer there yet, but I want to see their facilities.”

Ready to make a return visit to Iowa City, Hayes covered his interest in the Hawkeyes program.

“My relationship with their coaches,” Hayes stated. “It is getting better. I want to see how everything goes with Iowa. I’d like to continue building the relationship with Iowa.”

A trip to Gainesville is a sure thing. Hayes gave insight into his interest in the Gators.

“The program and Tim Tebow,” Hayes said. “I’d like to meet the rest of the coaching staff; I’ve only met one.”

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Florida Gymnastics Adds Lori Brubach to 2023 Roster

Florida Gymnastics Adds Lori Brubach to 2023 Roster

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Florida Gators gymnastics adds Lori Brubach to next season's roster. Brubach was admitted to the University of Florida and will join the Gators for the upcoming 2022-23 season.

Burbach graduates this spring from Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Fla. She has trained under Sorin and Anays Rad with RAD Gymnastics for the last six years.

"Gators Gymnastics is so excited to welcome Lori to the Gator family! She will bring in so many positive qualities to this team; talent, the ultimate hard worker and the passion and drive to better herself and all of those around her," Florida Head Coach Jenny Rowland said. "We all look forward to seeing her shine at UF!"

* Vault winner in each of three Level 10 meets competed in 2022 - Sand Dollar Invitational, Daytona Beach Open and Presidential Classic
* Advanced to 2021 Region 8 Level 10 Championship
* 2019 Level 9 Eastern Gymnastics vault champion
* 2018 & 2019 Region 8 vault champion
* 2019 Region 8 Level 9 floor champion and uneven bars runner-up
* Trains at RAD Gymnastics

Other Future Gators:
Brubach is the second gymnast joining the Gators for the 2022-23 season. Florida signed Kayla DiCello, the 2021 World Championships' all-around bronze medalist, in the fall. A member of the U.S. Senior National Team, DiCello traveled to the Tokyo Summer Olympics as a replacement athlete.
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Falby Earns Second SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

Falby Earns Second SEC Freshman of the Week Honor

GAINESVILLE, Fla
. - Freshman outfield Kendra Falby was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week after a series of notable performances for the fourth-ranked Florida softball team. This week Falby shares the award with Georgia's Kylie Macy.

The Odessa, Fla. native turned in four multi-hit games over the past week and scored at-least once in all six games. The efforts extended her reached base safely streak to all 16 games played so far this season.

In addition to producing 10 hits throughout the week, which extended her hit streak out to eight games, Falby continued to showcase her speed by stealing six total bases. Overall, Falby boasts 16 stolen bases on the year.

One of the major highlights of the week for Falby was when she belted the second home run of her career against UCF in the 2nd inning of play. In the game she tallied a season-high four RBI and scored twice in the Gators win over the Knights.

This is the first time that the Gators have earned three SEC Freshman of the Week honors during the same season since 2016 when Kelly Barnhill earned the award twice and Amanda Lorenz was named it once.

The Gators return to action Wednesday, March 2, as the team is set to host Southern Mississippi at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium at 6 p.m.
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March Madness Starts Early - BUSY MONTH for Napier and Crew

Starting Tuesday UF will host numerous prospects from around the country throughout the entire month of March. One scheduled for tomorrow WR Eugene Wilson, and S Jalon Kilgore has now changed his visit to March 5th.. S Cameron Upshaw was also scheduled to visit but his trip is now moved to March 15th a few weeks from now. Younger brother of Trent Whittemore (Creed) should also be in on Tuesday.
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