Kelly Rae Finley named permanent head coach of Gators women's hoops

With Kelly Rae Finley standing to his left, Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin addressed the women’s basketball team Monday following the program’s most successful season since 2016.

Before leaving the locker room, Stricklin had to some news to deliver.

“One other thing I wanted to mention,” Stricklin said in the video below, “is Kelly’s gonna be the permanent head coach of the Florida Gators.”

The room burst out in cheers and gave Finley a round of applause before players and staff surrounded her with congratulatory hugs.

And with that, her interim tag was removed, and she officially became the 11th head coach in program history.

“I’m humbled to be given the opportunity to lead our women’s basketball program and I believe that together we will be able to achieve great things,” Finley said in a press release. “I’m forever grateful for our staff and student-athletes for their dedication to growing this program and I look forward to continuing on this journey.”

Finley led UF women’s hoops to a 20-win season (20-9) for the first time since the 2015-16 season and the 16th time overall. Under her command, Florida also won 10 SEC games (10-6) for just the fourth time in program history.

Perhaps even more impressive, Finley guided the Gators through the Cam Newbauer scandal and generated the most fan support for the program in decades. The attendance of 5,319 for Florida-South Carolina was the largest crowd in the O’Dome for a women’s basketball game since 1999.

“Kelly Rae is such a talented young coach whose natural poise, intelligence and relational abilities have all been on display during this remarkable Gators Women’s Basketball season,” Stricklin said in a press release. “I’m excited that she’ll have the opportunity to build off of this year’s success and that future Gators will be able to benefit from her leadership the way this team has.”

IT'S OFFICIAL GATOR NATION.

Your head coach of @gatorswbk is @Kraefin! #GoGators pic.twitter.com/XxcHlVOjKx

— Florida Gators (@FloridaGators) February 28, 2022

Securing the fifth-seed in the SEC Tournament under Finley, Florida defeated five ranked opponents for the first time since the 2005-06 season and five top-25 SEC teams for the first time since 2004. The Gators earned their largest margin of victory over a top-10 team when they defeated No. 7 Tennessee, 84-59, handing the Lady Vols their worst loss against an unranked squad since the AP Poll debuted in 1976.

The blowout win over Tennessee propelled the Gators into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2016, debuting at No. 19 in the rankings.

“Within this program,” Finley said, “we strive to create a sustainable and competitive environment that encourages collaboration, fosters creativity and empowers our young women to achieve growth and success during their time at Florida and beyond.”

Kelly Rae Finley’s background

Before becoming interim head coach, Finley held roles as both the associate head coach and assistant coach for the Gators. She played an integral part in rebuilding the roster upon arrival in Gainesville, helping to sign the nation’s No. 26 recruiting class in 2019 according to ProspectsNation, and developing players such as Kiara Smith and Jordyn Merritt.

Prior to her time in Florida, Finley had stints at Arizona (2016-17), Colorado (2012-16) and Harvard (2009-12). At Arizona, Finley helped land the nation’s No. 34 recruiting class, including three state players of the year, while also helping Colorado achieve a similar feat with a top-25 class in 2015.

During her time at Harvard, Finley assisted in the signing of Temitop Fagbenle, the Ivy League’s first ever McDonald’s All-American and second Olympian.

A Minnesota native, Finley graduated from Colorado State in 2008 where she earned Mountain West Conference Scholar-Athlete honors as a member of the women’s basketball team.