Florida baseball has moved on from pitching coach David Kopp, a source told the Gainesville Sun.
The move, which was first reported by Baseball America, comes after the Gators’ pitching staff crumbled in the Gainesville Regional. Kopp had been with the staff since 2021 but took over the pitching in 2024.
This past season, sophomore Aidan King was named SEC Pitcher of the Year, as the staff finished with a 4.61 ERA while recording 636 strikeouts and 198 walks, placing UF in the top 20 of multiple pitching categories.
Yet Florida, over the past few seasons, has been inconsistent on the mound in the biggest moment. Most recently, the Gators’ pitching staff fell apart in the Gainesville Regional after giving up 49 hits and 43 runs in four games.
Notably, Liam Peterson, who is expected to be drafted in the first round of the upcoming MLB Draft, surrendered nine runs on 10 hits to Troy in the regional championship.
“Honestly, we need to evaluate this because we have to be more consistent all the way around,” said Florida coach O’Sullivan after the Gators were eliminated by Troy. “Offensively, we went through some spurts this year where we were a little inconsistent. At this time of year, we shouldn’t be having these issues with the walks and that kind of thing.
UF’s staff posted a 6.05 ERA in 2024, and then a 4.89 ERA in an injury-filled 2025.
Kopp came to the Gators from Florida Atlantic, where he spent four seasons as the Owls’ pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
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.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida baseball moves on from David Kopp, Gators to search for new pitching coach
Reporting by Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew Abadie, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
