Florida Parts Ways With Women’s Basketball Coach Kelly Rae Finley
The Kelly Rae Finley era has come to an end in Gainesville.
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Monday that Finley will no longer serve as the head coach of Florida women’s basketball, ending her five seasons leading the program. The university said a national search for the next head coach will begin immediately.
“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 finished her tenure with a 93-75 record and a 30-50 mark in SEC play. She first joined Florida as an assistant coach from 2017 to 2021 before taking over as interim head coach in July 2021 after Cameron Newbauer resigned amid allegations he verbally abused players and staff members.
The Gators quickly found initial success under Finley. Florida finished fourth in the SEC and earned an NCAA Tournament berth during the 2021-22 season. After that run, the university removed the interim tag and named Finley the permanent head coach in April 2022.
However, Florida never returned to March Madness during her remaining time leading the program. With Selection Sunday approaching, the Gators (18-15 overall) appear likely to miss the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.
Finley consistently recruited high-level talent during her time leading the Gators. This year’s team features three McDonald’s All Americans in Liv McGill, Me’Arah O’Neal and Laila Reynolds. Florida also has two four-star commitments in the 2026 class in Kennedy Holman and Arynn Finley.
McGill led the team with 22.5 points per game and earned All-SEC First Team honors. She also set Florida’s single season scoring record earlier this year. However, the talent never translated into enough wins to meet the program’s expectations.
Finley had one year remaining on a contract that paid about $700,000 annually. The university will owe her roughly $450,000 in remaining base salary through April 2027.
“I’d like to thank the administration for entrusting me with the development of Florida’s women’s basketball team over the last four plus seasons,” Finley said in a statement. “I’m immensely proud of the work we put in and what we accomplished together. But I’m most proud of our players and the young women they have become.”
Florida women’s basketball has long searched for sustained success. It is the only one of Florida’s 19 sports that has never won a conference title. The Gators also have not advanced past the second round of the NCAA Tournament since 1998.
The challenge comes in a conference that includes several of the nation’s top programs. LSU, South Carolina, Texas, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma rank in the top 10 of the AP poll. Florida also spent the least on women’s basketball of any SEC school, with several programs spending nearly double per year. Additionally, the Gators averaged 1,895 fans at home this season, by a significant margin the lowest attendance in the SEC.
Stricklin said expectations for the team remain clear.
“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 emphasized.
Now Florida women’s basketball begins its next chapter. Stricklin will look to hire a coach who can keep Florida’s talented roster intact and guide the Gators to something the program has never reached: a Final Four.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Women's Basketball
