Mick Hubert returns to Gainesville as Mr. Two Bits for Gators
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — OH MY! The Florida Gators will have a familiar face and voice back in town this weekend when they host the LSU Tigers. The longtime voice of the Gators, who unceremoniously retired last year after more than three decades of calling Florida games, will serve as the honorary Mr. Two Bits on Saturday.
Hubert told Richard Johnson on the Paul Finebaum show that he had the idea to retire in his head for 9-10 months before he told Scott Stricklin, but the announcement was a surprise to Gator Nation.
“It was the kind of job I always wanted,” Hubert said the day after his retirement. “I always wanted to do more play-by-play and always wanted to work for a team. I was talked into it by a guy I worked with in Peoria. He told me, MIck you gotta apply (at Florida). I was like there’s no way they’re going to hire me! I sent a tape, or 150 of them and they hired me.”
Hubert arrived in Gainesville in dark times. The Gators were on probation, Galen Hall and Norm Sloan were relieved of their duties within months of Hubert taking the job. That only opened doors for Steve Spurrier and Lon Kruger, both of whom took football and basketball to new heights.
Hubert was asked to be Mr. Two Bits for the Gators’ season opener. He declined the invitation.
“I wanted them to get on with the season without me,” Hubert told UF writer Chris Harry Tuesday. “I didn’t want it to look like I was just hanging around.”
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The Gators blanked the South Carolina Gamecocks to finish their 2022 season. It was their fourth-straight SEC series before falling on Saturday. After the final out, Hubert signed off for the last time after a 33-year career.
“I’m getting the countdown in my ear. What, you think I’m gonna get off on time?”, Hubert said with a laugh. “4-1 Carolina. I’ve enjoyed 33 years broadcasting Gator sports to you. I thank you so very much. I love you one and all. You made my career. Thank you so much. For Nick Belmonte, I’m Mick Hubert. So long, everybody.”
And with that, Hubert hung up the mic following more than 2,500 games at Florida. He is the only broadcaster in history to call national championship wins for the same school in college football (three), men’s basketball (two), and baseball (one).
