'Rejuvenated' Kevin O'Sullivan Returns, Ready to Lead Gators Baseball in 2026

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Kevin O'Sullivan has not felt this good in a long time. And after a brief leave of absence to attend to personal matters, the longtime Florida Gators baseball coach is back to lead the program for his 19th season.

O'Sullivan, the program's all-time winningest head coach who has led Florida to nine appearances in the College World series, announced his leave of absence on Oct. 22, citing "personal and family issues." He returned to the program nearly two months later.

"I think last fall at the end was probably one of the most hardest things I've had to do, other than lose my parents or other family members, for that matter, but it ended up being the best thing that could have happened," O'Sullivan said on Friday, his first media availability since returning to the program. "I feel rejuvenated. I feel great. I feel much, much more at peace.”

Kevin O'Sullivan is the Gators' all-time winningest head baseball coach. | Kyle Lander / Florida Gators on SI

In a 30-minute preseason press conference, O'Sullivan did not give specific details on why he briefly left the program. While away, UF student newspaper the Independent Florida Alligator detailed allegations of verbal child abuse and a Florida Department of Family and Families' investigation against O'Sullivan, which ended in no charges filed against the head coach.

A program spokesperson previously stated that the investigation had no ties to his leave of absence, nor was it a direct effect of his suspension for last season's incident at the Conway Regional, which O'Sullivan has publicly apologized for and said on Friday he regrets but has "moved forward on that."

While not divulging specifics, O'Sullivan gave some brief insight into the reasoning and timing of his departure, saying there was not one specific moment that led to him stepping away, but that it was "gradual" and "always happens at the time you'd least expect it."

“Not to get too personal, but I think the one thing for me was control. When you go to work every day and you're responsible for 35-38 players and a staff of 10-12 people, it's hard to turn it off," he said. "It's just hard. And then the perfection side of you, the perfectionist comes out in you. The sense of gratitude, I think that kind of gets lost in this profession at times, and things can kind of get away from me a little bit.”

That mindset reset took a lot of work. O'Sullivan said he had to learn to prioritize himself first, which includes having a consistent routine, having some personal time in the morning and committing to not getting bogged down during the day. He is also focusing on being more present with his players.

"I think one of the things is that we all ought to take care of ourselves first, and if we do that, then everything else will fall into place," he said. "It's really that simple.”

Overall, O'Sullivan looked and sounded like a new man entering his 19th season entering the program. While the season has yet to be played, O'Sullivan is hoping the newfound mindset and rejuvenation from a brief absence can help lead the program back to the top.

“I think maybe at the end of the year, we’ll see how many wins we have. That's ultimately what we're going to talk about, right?" O'Sullivan said. "But I just think I have a better understanding of things, and I'm trying to look at things in a different perspective.”

Florida, albeit without O'Sullivan as he serves a three-game suspension for the aforementioned actions at the Conway Regional, opens the season on Friday against UAB with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.

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