What to Know About UF President Candidate Dr. Stuart Bell as a Gators Sports Fan

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The University of Florida on Monday announced that Dr. Stuart R. Bell had been unanimously recommended by UF's Presidential Search Committee as the sole finalist to be the university's 14th president.

Bell, who already received an endorsement from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, will have to be approved by the UF Board of Trustees and confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors. He will aim to replace Dr. Don Landry, who has served in an interim capacity during the 2025-26 academic year and replaced former permanent president Ben Sasse, who served from 2023-24.

“Thank you to the Search Committee and Mr. Hosseini for having faith in me to guide the future of Gator Nation,” Bell said. “The University of Florida is a special place, and I look forward to the opportunity to lead this top-tier university and help firmly establish UF among the nation’s top 3 public universities. I will continue to keep UF focused on the pursuit of truth, knowledge, and excellence while standing strong against ideologies and fads that have no place in the classroom.”

Here are three things you need to know as a Gators sports fan about Bell.

1. He is the former President of the Southeastern Conference

Bell was most recently the President of the University of Alabama from July 2015 until July 2025, during which he also served as President of the Southeastern Conference for a term from 2023-25. He also served on the league's Executive Committee from 2021-25.

Former University of Alabama president Stuart Bell also served as President of the SEC from 2023-25. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In those roles, according to the press release, Bell "worked with all SEC schools, the conference commissioner, legislators in Washington, DC, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to address critical issues facing collegiate athletics nationwide.

During Bell's tenure as President, the SEC won 23 national titles across 14 team sports, including titles from Florida's men's outdoor track team (2023-24), men's golf team (2023) and men's basketball team (2025).

2. Nick Saban Endorsed Dr. Bell to be UF's President

During his time at Alabama, Bell worked with legendary college football coach Nick Saban from 2015 until Saban's retirement after the 2023 season. The Crimson Tide won three national titles (2015, 2017, 2020), won six SEC titles (2015-16, 2018, 2020-21, 2023) and appeared in seven College Football Playoffs (2015-18, 2020-21, 2023) with Bell leading the university.

Saban emphatically endorsed Bell to be Florida's next president.

“Dr. Bell is an outstanding person and was a great leader at the University of Alabama,” Saban said. “In the locker room after almost every game, he is a good friend and passionate supporter of athletics –– and is someone who made a significant impact on the university and the Tuscaloosa community. I know he will do wonderful things in Gainesville!”

Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban endorsed Dr. Stuart R. Bell to be the next President of the University of Florida. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At Alabama, Bell is credited with helping advance the university's overall athletics department alongside its established football program. Alabama's men's basketball program snapped a 30-year drought by winning the SEC Tournament in 2021 and snapped a near-20-year drought by winning the league's regular season title that same year.

The program added another SEC regular season and SEC Tournament title in 2023 and reached its first Final Four in 2024.

The women's basketball program also reached its first NCAA Tournament since 1999 in 2021 and appeared in the tournament again in 2023 and 2024, while the baseball program snapped a seven-year NCAA Tournament drought with a 2021 appearance before appearances from 2023-25 while Bell was there. That 2023 appearance saw the Crimson Tide win its first regional since 2010. The softball team also won its first SEC Tournament since 2012 with a title in 2021, while the women's soccer team reached its first NCAA Semifinals and won its first conference regular season title in 2022.

3. He is the second recommendation to be UF's permanent president

Florida has not had a permanent president in place since Sasse resigned from the position in 2024. Nearly a year ago, UF's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to select former Michigan president Dr. Santa J. Ono as Sasse's permanent replacement.

However, the Florida Board of Governors rejected Ono in a 10-6 vote last June, marking the first time in school history that the board has rejected a presidential candidate. After Sasse's departure, Florida returned his predecessor, Dr. Kent Fuchs, on an interim basis, while Landry replaced Fuchs as the interim after Ono was rejected.

In an era of NIL, revenue share and transfer portal, as well as Florida's impending renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, stability cannot be more crucial, and Bell will hope to provide that.

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