Florida women’s basketball is making a change at the top.

The university announced Monday that coach Kelly Rae Finley will not return, and athletic director Scott Stricklin has started a national search for a new leader of the program.

“We are grateful for Coach Finley’s commitment to the program and the student-athletes during her time in Gainesville and wish her and her family the very best moving forward,” Stricklin said.

Finley took over as head coach in April 2022 after previously serving as the team’s interim coach late in the 2021–22 season. She finished her time in Gainesville with a 93–75 overall record and went 30–50 in Southeastern Conference play. Florida reached the NCAA Tournament during her interim season, but the Gators did not make another appearance during the following years.

Before becoming coach, Finley spent several seasons on Florida’s staff as an assistant, beginning in 2017. She also held assistant coaching positions at Arizona, Colorado and Harvard earlier in her career.

Stricklin said the goal of the search is to find a coach who can move the program forward and position Florida to regularly compete for NCAA Tournament spots and challenge the top teams in the SEC.

“The University of Florida is committed to building a women’s basketball program that consistently reaches the NCAA Tournament and competes among the top teams in the Southeastern Conference,” Stricklin said. “This search is an important opportunity to identify a leader who will recruit and develop outstanding student-athletes, build strong connections within our community, and elevate the program to meet the expectations UF has for all 21 of our sports. The University of Florida has all of the resources here in Gainesville and beyond to support a successful women’s basketball program, and we look forward to hiring a coach and staff who can deliver on those expectations.”