Skip to main content
All Gators

What Kevin O'Sullivan Said About New Florida Pitching Coach Rich Dorman

Rich Dorman was officially announced as Florida's next pitching coach on Monday.
Cam Parker|
Rich Dorman was officially announced as Florida's next pitching coach on Monday.
Rich Dorman was officially announced as Florida's next pitching coach on Monday. | Courtesy of UAA Communications

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators on Monday officially announced the hiring of Oregon State's Rich Dorman as the program's next pitching coach after he was first linked to the job last week.

Dorman, one of the top pitching coaches in the country over the past few seasons, is Florida's first staff hire this offseason after O'Sullivan fired his predecessor, David Kopp, and assistant Taylor Black departed for North Carolina State.

He also comes with high expectations after the Beavers led the nation in ERA (3.22), hits per nine innings (6.94) and WHIP (1.14), while Florida's struggles on the mound in the postseason ultimately led to the coaching change. Dorman's success in his career, which included an eight-year stint in the Seattle Mariners organization and three strong seasons at Grand Canyon, ultimately led Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan to target him.

"Coach Dorman represents one of, if not the best, veteran pitching minds in all of college baseball and has a tremendous track record of recruiting and mentoring the top pitchers in the country," O'Sullivan said. "His addition ensures that the most elite pitchers in our sport will be developed in Gainesville while being provided with all the tools necessary for continued success at Florida and beyond."

Dorman's 2026 campaign was arguably his best as a coach. In addition to his aforementioned nation-leading marks, Doman's staff ranked second in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.55), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.8) and 12th in walks per nine innings (3.32), leading to three All-Americans on the mound (Trey Morris, Albert Roblez and Dax Whtiney).

Other highlights with the Beavers include breaking the single-season strikeout record as a staff twice (628 in 2022 and 611 in 2021) and a conference-best 3.48 ERA in 2021. Additionally, Dorman's staff at Oregon State never finished outside of the top-30 nationally in ERA, H/9 or WHIP across the last three seasons.

Across his 10 seasons at Grand Canyon and Oregon State, Dorman has averaged 2.1 players drafted per year.

"Rich instantly makes our program and our players better, and we are thrilled to add someone of his caliber and national notoriety to the Gators," O'Sullivan said.

Now at Florida, Dorman will be tasked with rebuilding the bullpen while continuing to develop its top arms. Florida returns ace Aidan King and star relievers Jackson Barberi and Joshua Whritenour, who all struggled at times down the stretch of the 2026 season, while also waiting on MLB Draft decisions from relievers Caden McDonald and Luke McNeillie and starter Russell Sandefer.

Dorman said he is "incredible honored and excited to join" the Gators.

"I want to sincerely thank Coach O'Sullivan for this opportunity and for the trust he has placed in me to join his staff," he said. "The commitment to excellence, player development and championship-level expectations at Florida make this a truly special opportunity for my family and me. I am also grateful to Oregon State, Coach Canham and the Beaver community for their support and the relationships built along the way.

"As we begin this next chapter, I am eager to get to work, build meaningful relationships with our student-athletes and help continue the tradition of excellence that defines Florida Baseball. My family and I are excited to become part of Gator Nation and look forward to contributing in every way possible."

Other roster moves on the mound this season for Florida include outgoing seniors Ricky Reeth, Ernesto Lugo-Canchola and Billy Barlow and departing transfers Matthew Jenkins, Cooper Moss, Christian Rodriguez, McCall Biemiller, Eli Blair and Cooper Walls. Florida, meanwhile, has added one transfer thus far in Jacksonville State's Maddox McDougall.

Junior starter Liam Peterson is also expected to enter the MLB Draft.

Sign up for our free Florida Gators newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X  for the latest news!

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a reporter covering the Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers and Clemson Tigers with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester, and dog, Rufus.

Share on XFollow camparker25
Home/Baseball