GAINESVILLE, Fla.– After spending the last nine seasons with the Florida Gators, including the last five as its women’s basketball head coach, Kelly Rae Finley has found her next stop. The Virginian-Pilot’s David Teel on Monday reported that Finley has joined Aaron Roussell’s first staff at Virginia.
Finley was in attendance for Roussell’s introductory press conference on Monday. Virginia has not announced Finley’s hiring or what role she will have on Roussell’s staff.
Hired in 2017 as an assistant under then-head coach Cameron Newbauer, Finley was elevated to interim head coach for the 2021-22 season following Newbauer’s resignation, later revealed to be tied to allegations of verbal abuse and racism. Finley was praised for her ability to stabalize the program by leading the Gators to a 21-11 overall record, 10-6 finish in SEC play and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
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However, that success was never matched after she became the permanent head coach. While she averaged 18 wins over her next four seasons, a 5-11 record in conference play in each season and never made it back to the NCAA Tournament. While her 93 wins ranks third in program history, the lack of success and failure to capitalize on strong recruiter ultimately led to her departure on March 9.
“I’m immensely proud of the work we put in and the things we accomplished together,” Finley said after her departure. “But I’m most proud of our players. As much as college athletics is about wins and losses, for me it is also about developing young women. The opportunity to work with such an amazing group of players over the years here in Florida has been an absolute joy, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact this current group of Gators will have moving forward both as amazing athletes on the court, and as high-character people throughout the rest of their lives.”
Tasked with finding her replacement, athletic director Scott Stricklin said that Florida is “committed to building a women’s basketball program that consistently reaches the NCAA Tournament and competes among the top teams in the Southeastern Conference.” He also added that Florida has the resources to do so and is looking for a coach to deliver on those expectations.
Florida introduced Tammi Reiss as its next women’s basketball coach last month. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Stricklin announced on March 23 that Florida had hired Rhode Island’s Tammi Reiss to take over the program due to her history as a “proven winner and outstanding leader” in her seven seasons with the Rams. Reiss has made it no secret that she is embracing the challenge of taking over the program, highlighting that the opportunity to build a program rather than take over an established program is something that drew her to taking the job.
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“I need a certain investment in women’s basketball, and they did that. I’ve had other opportunities, but again, I’ve been very particular about the program that checks all the boxes and is a builder program,” Reiss said,via Florida Gators’ writer Scott Carter. “I don’t like inheriting. I want something to build. All I needed was someone to meet halfway. Florida came to the table, and they are ready. They want a good women’s basketball program, and they are ready to resource it accordingly.”
For now, Reiss will look to rebuild Florida’s roster after nine portal departures. The Gators’ 2026-27 roster is currently comprised of returning forwards Jade Weathersby and Me’Arah O’Neal and transfer Mallory Miller, who signed with the program on Monday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Former Gators Women’s Basketball HC Kelly Rae Finley Finds New Home.
