GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Coming off a tough season, the Florida baseball team will have a bit of a shakeup on the coaching staff.

On Thursday afternoon, D1Baseball.com's Kendall Rogers reported that assistant coach Brad Weitzel is no longer on the UF staff. Rogers notes that Weitzel has "strong connections to the scouting industry," indicating that could be his next move.

For Florida, the change comes after 12 years of Weitzel working alongside coach Kevin O'Sullivan. The Gators reached the NCAA Tournament in each of those years.

He has been a valuable part of the Florida staff.

"When we put this staff together, what I wanted to do was have a well-rounded staff," coach Kevin O’Sullivan is quoted as saying on Weitzel's team biography page. "Some guys get labeled as a hitting coach or an infielder’s coach. In coaching, you use a player’s strengths to put him in the right situation. Coaching is no different.



"When I put this staff together, Brad was at the top of my wish list. We each have the same coaching background. His hitting, fielding, and base-running philosophies are all what I would teach if my expertise was in those areas of the game. It would be a great mistake to limit either Brad or Craig (Bell) to coaching only one area on the field. They must have constant communication between each other about where they’re at with certain kids and we will do that on a daily basis. I’m going to let these guys go and do what they do best."

Whether Florida replaces Weitzel with an outside hire remains to be seen.

Volunteer assistant coach Lars Davis has had a big impact with the program in his five seasons and could be poised to take over Weitzel's role.

Hired five years ago, Davis has been a part of the most successful stint in UF baseball history, including the program's first national championship in 2017.

"We are extremely pleased and excited that Lars has joined the Florida Gator baseball program," O'Sullivan said when he was hired. "His experience at the college and professional levels is a valuable asset for us."