Florida fires Zook effective after season
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Ron Zook was fired Monday after two-plus years and a stack of embarrassments on and off the field, satisfying a growing groundswell for his ouster that began the day he replaced Steve Spurrier.
Zook will finish out the season while athletic director Jeremy Foley and school president Bernie Machen search for another coach.
“In the final analysis, it was apparent to me that something’s not working here,” Foley said. “I know that’s kind of nebulous, but it’s the truth. It’s hard to put a finger on it exactly, but it certainly just didn’t appear to be working as we all envisioned.”
The Gators are 20-13 under Zook with four games left — that’s just 14 losses fewer than Spurrier had in 12 seasons.
Zook’s latest debacle, a 38-31 loss to Mississippi State, sealed his fate.
Spurrier’s return would be welcomed in Gainesville.
“I’ll cross that bridge if it comes to that,” Spurrier told the Orlando Sentinel. “The thing I’ve tried to do all this year is not be lingering around, acting like I’m waiting for another guy’s job. I don’t believe that’s the right way to do it. But now that he doesn’t have a job, I guess there will be some discussion. We’ll see what happens.”
Foley planned to talk with Spurrier soon but said he won’t discuss the opening with coaches with jobs until after the season.
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Utah coach Urban Meyer also could be possibilities. Stoops was Spurrier’s defensive coordinator for three seasons at Florida, and Machen hired Meyer at Utah following the 2002 season.
Machen and Foley decided Sunday morning that Zook’s tenure was over. They informed the coach Monday morning at Machen’s home.
Zook agreed to coach the remainder of the season — something Foley was counting on.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate and respect these players,” Zook read from a statement, making little eye contact and pausing several times to collect his emotions. “They work hard and they do what we ask. I take a lot of pride in the fact that we leave this program in very good shape.”