Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan was recently the subject of an investigation with unsubstantiated allegations.
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Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan was the subject of a child welfare investigation initiated by one of his children.The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, and no charges have been filed.O’Sullivan took a leave of absence for personal matters, which the team says was not related to the investigation.
Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan was subject to a child welfare investigation made by one of his teenage children. However, according to a six-page report made by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, officials did not find any evidence of criminal wrong doing and court records show O’Sullivan has not been charged or arrested.
First reported by The Alligator on Nov. 26, but also obtained by The Gainesville Sun, the report was filed six days before O’Sullivan took a leave of absence to address, “personal and family issues.”
“Coach O’Sullivan has our full support as he takes the time he needs to focus on personal matters,” said Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin in a press release last month. “We appreciate his openness in communicating this decision, and respect his need for privacy.”
When reached for comment about the report, a spokesperson for the Florida baseball program said the incident wasn’t the reason O’Sullivan took a leave of absence.
“We have not seen the report you reference, and it was not the basis for his decision to take personal leave of absence,” a team spokesperson said in response to The Gainesville Sun’s request for a comment.
The report detailed separate interactions between O’Sullivan, his family and DCF authorities on Oct. 14 and Oct 15. After each meeting, it was reported that there was no evidence of a crime.
During an incident on Oct. 14, the teen provided video to the child-welfare investigator showing O’Sullivan, “screaming and cussing” at both children, but “no physical violence present in the video.”
It was cited by authorities that the teen’s sibling contradicted statements from the children’s mother, who told deputies that O’Sullivan had “threatened the kids.”
“I didn’t observe any any marks on any part of her body that was exposed, but it was limited due to her clothing,” the report read. “No crime was observed during the interview.”
It’s been a tumultuous offseason for Florida baseball.
Following O’Sullivan’s leave of absence, the program initially named associate head Chuck Jereloman as the program’s interim coach for the final weeks of fall. However, Jereloman took the same position at Tennessee to join newly promoted coach Justin Elander’s staff. With two weeks left in the fall, UF hired Tom Slater and named him the new interim coach.
Prior to the untimely staff change and latest set of events, O’Sullivan received a public reprimand for a viral outburst during the NCAA regional hosted by Coastal Carolina earlier in August. In response, UF opted to suspend O’Sullivan for the Gators’ first three games of the upcoming 2026 season.
O’Sullivan is the winningest coach in the program’s history, as he has compiled a record of 756-371 in 18 seasons, which include nine trips to the College World Series and a national title in 2017.
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at AAbadie@usatodayco.com or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.