Athletic director Scott Stricklin has decided to part ways with soccer coach Tony Amato after just one season, the University Athletic Association announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Amato was hired less than a year ago on May 24, 2021, after coaching at Arizona for eight seasons. He replaced national-championship-winning coach Becky Burleigh, who retired after 26 seasons.
The Gators went 4-12-4 during the 2021-22 season, including a 3-6-1 record in conference play that tied for 12th in the SEC standings.
“This decision was extremely difficult,” Stricklin said in a statement. “My thorough evaluation of the soccer program is that there is a disconnect between Tony and his athletes. We have worked diligently with Tony since last fall when I first became aware of challenges with relationship building and communication. As the issues continued to be brought to my attention, it became apparent that sufficient progress was not being made and Tony was not a fit for the University of Florida.
“Therefore, it is my assessment that in order to have the program we all expect, this change is necessary. I appreciate Tony’s hard work during his time here and wish he and his family the best.”
Stricklin has become very familiar with the coaching search process over the last few months. Since November, he has fired football coach Dan Mullen and hired Billy Napier to replace him, taken the interim label off of women’s basketball coach Kelly Rae Finley, and hired Todd Golden to replace Mike White as the men’s basketball coach.
The timing of Amato’s departure is quite peculiar. The Gators’ season ended in November, and they’re only about three months away from the start of practice for the 2022 season.
Stricklin offered no timetable on hiring Amato’s replacement but acknowledged the inconvenient timing of this announcement.
“I fully recognize the disruption this causes our athletes and our program,” Stricklin said. “We all wanted this to work, but, ultimately, it is my responsibility to do what is in the best long-term interest of this program and thus this decision. We are totally committed to having an outstanding soccer program. I assure everyone this is extremely important to all of us as we begin the search for our new coach.”