Florida has hired veteran baseball coach Tom Slater as its associate head coach, the university announced Friday evening. Slater will also serve as acting head coach while longtime skipper Kevin O’Sullivan remains on indefinite personal leave.
“Tom Slater brings a wealth of experience, leadership and deep Gator ties to this role,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement. “With more than three decades in college and professional baseball, including extensive experience in the SEC, he’s earned universal respect across the game. We’re excited to welcome him and Beth back to Gainesville.”
The move fills the vacancy left by former associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Chuck Jeroloman, who departed Thursday to join Tennessee’s staff under new head coach Josh Elander. Jeroloman had been serving as acting head coach since O’Sullivan stepped away earlier this month.
Florida now turns to Slater during a period of uncertainty for one of the nation’s premier programs. Neither the university nor O’Sullivan, who has led the Gators since 2008, have provided a timetable for his return. It also remains undecided who will assume the program’s recruiting coordinator duties, a pivotal role for a team with several top-100 commitments in its upcoming classes. Jeroloman has long been regarded as one of the sport’s elite recruiters, directing Florida’s talent acquisition in recent years.
Slater’s arrival brings a familiar face and a wealth of experience back to Gainesville. He previously served as a Florida assistant in 2004, when the Gators went 43-22 and advanced to an NCAA Super Regional. That year, the team ranked among the SEC’s top three in runs, batting average and home runs while Slater oversaw the offense and coached third base.
Over nearly four decades in baseball, Slater has worked across college and professional levels, including stops in the SEC, the Southern Conference and multiple major league organizations. Combining his time at Florida and Auburn, he has been part of staffs that reached eight NCAA tournaments, four regional championships, two super regionals and one College World Series.
Slater spent four seasons as Auburn’s head coach from 2005 to 2008, compiling a 115-113 overall record and a 43-77 mark in SEC play before resigning after 2008. He previously led his alma mater, VMI, from 2001 to 2003, earning Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2003 after guiding the program to its first winning conference season since 1989.
Slater transitioned to professional baseball coaching in recent years, most recently working in player development with the Phillies from 2024-25 after serving as senior advisor and minor league hitting coordinator for the Marlins from 2021-24.
Florida is hopeful that adding Slater to its staff will provide some stability and experience during a time of transition, though questions about O’Sullivan’s future and the program’s recruiting leadership remain unresolved.
“I am excited to be back with the Florida Gators,” Slater said in the university’s release. “I look forward to serving and working together with the Gator baseball players and staff.”
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