Florida names Finley women’s coach, gives her 5-year deal

Published February 28, 2022 2:09 PM

By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — No. 23 Florida removed the interim tag from Kelly Rae Finley’s title Monday and gave her a five-year contract to be the team’s head coach. The 36-year-old Finley took over in July when Cam Newbauer resigned amid allegations that he physically and verbally abused players. The allegations became public a little more than two months later. The Gators regrouped under Finley’s guidance and caught fire in early January. They moved into the AP Top 25 for the first time in more than five years while winning 10 of 11 games. Florida has since cooled and dropped three straight to end the regular season.