![Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley reacts against South Carolina during the second half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, January 4, 2026. North Carolina won 74-63 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_171,w_2804,h_1577/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/403/01kka3dbn0jehb3xps4t.jpg "Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley reacts against South Carolina during the second half of an NCAA women’s basketball game at Steven C. O'Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, January 4, 2026. North Carolina won 74-63 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Florida announced the women's basketball program has parted ways with coach Kelly Rae Finley, the conclusion to a head coaching stint that began in 2022. Finley was named the program's 9th head coach and ended her time at the school with a 93-75 record.
"I'd like to thank the administration for entrusting me with the development of Florida's women's basketball team over these last four-plus seasons," said Finley in a statement. "I've been blessed with the opportunity to work with a number of amazing coaches, support staff and boosters during my time in Gainesville who believed in what we were doing to put Florida women's basketball back on the map."
She added, "I'm immensely proud of the work we put in and the things we accomplished together. 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."
Finley previously served as an assistant coach for the team for seven years.
Another popular SEC name has been floated as a replacement
The news sparked several conversations online about what might be next for the program, including who could replace Finley at the school. Some have pointed to rumors that Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who currently heads the women's basketball program at Ole Miss, may pursue the role.
While it's not clear if McPhee-McCuin has any intention of leaving her own program, what's somewhat likely is that some Florida players — specifically Liv McGill and Me'Arah O'Neal — could depart the Gators for another team. Both would fit in well with the system McPhee-McCuin has built so far, and, as sophomores, both still have plenty of time left in their collegiate careers.
For now, those rumors remain in the realm of speculation. McPhee-McCuin hasn't commented, nor have McGill and O'Neal. The NCAA transfer portal will open on April 6, 2026, after the Final Four is played in Phoenix, Arizona. This year the portal will only be open for 15 days, which means players (and coaches) will need to make decisions quickly. That doesn't give anyone involved much time, but it may be all they need... assuming they do in the first place.