Florida suspends baseball coach 3 games for tirade at NCAA regional

Field Level Media|published: Fri 29th August, 16:37 2025

Jun 19, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Florida Gators head coach Kevin O'Sullivan walks off the mound during the game against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first inning at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan was publicly reprimanded by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee and suspended three games by his university on Friday because of his behavior at a regional tournament game in June.

O'Sullivan was punished for what the NCAA called "aggressive behavior and profanity-laced language" directed at site administrators at a June 1 NCAA regional game against East Carolina in Conway, S.C.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said O'Sullivan is suspended for the opening of the 2026 season on Feb. 13-15 against UAB.

"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 statement. "Sully has vowed to learn from the experience and serve as a better leader moving forward."

O'Sullivan publicly apologized a day after his tirade. He was upset that the Sunday afternoon game had been pushed back an hour, which he viewed as beneficial to East Carolina, which had played a game against host Coastal Carolina that ended at midnight.

East Carolina went on to beat Florida 11-4 and eliminate the Gators, who finished 39-22, including a 17-2 win over Fairfield on the Saturday afternoon of regional weekend.

The NCAA said its committee determined that O'Sullivan's actions were "unsportsmanlike" and considered misconduct under its bylaws.

Misconduct at a championship, per the NCAA, 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."

The committee also noted that O'Sullivan took responsibility for his actions and gave a "sincere apology to all individuals impacted by his behavior."

O'Sullivan is entering his 19th season at Florida, where he is 756-371 (.671) with the 2017 national championship, nine trips to the College Baseball World Series, 17 NCAA berths and six Southeastern Conference titles to his credit.

--Field Level Media

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