Mississippi State’s loss is officially Florida’s gain.
Monday, reports surfaced that, after a longer-than-expected search, Florida had zeroed in on Scott Stricklin to be its new athletic director. Tuesday morning, UF confirmed in a press release that the MSU AD has left Starkville to take the same job in Gainesville.
Stricklin will replace Jeremy Foley, the long-time AD who announced in June that he would be leaving his post in October.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity at Florida,” Stricklin said in a statement. “I’m an SEC guy. I understand the position Florida holds in college athletics. I’m excited to come and be part of the department. It’s a great staff here to work with. I love college towns. The opportunity to come and get invested in another community, with my family, you start balancing all that and you understand at this point in my career, this is an opportunity you just can’t not do. ...
“I couldn’t have left for any other place but Florida. It’s just a special place not only in the world of the SEC, but in college athletics because of the success they’ve had and the way they’ve had it with the integrity. Florida holds a leadership position in college athletics. And you look at the academic reputation, it’s one of the best universities in the country. That’s a pretty hard combination to not take the opportunity if it’s offered to you.”
Stricklin, who graduated from MSU in the early nineties, had been the Bulldogs’ AD since 2010. That was the 46-year-old Stricklin’s first job as the head of any athletic department.
For the 2015-16 season, he claimed the Athletic Director of the Year Award from the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
“I’ve known Scott on a personal and professional level for a long, long time,” a statement from Foley, who is staying at the school as a “fundraiser,” began. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Scott and what he has accomplished at Mississippi State and the other institutions where he has worked. Scott is a wonderful leader, and a great person. He has passion for student-athletes and loves working with and supporting coaches. Those two qualities alone make him a great fit for Florida.
“Scott is about the right things and running the business the right way. I have the utmost confidence that Scott will help the Gators carry out our mission to provide a championship experience with integrity. We’ve sat in the room together at AD meetings for several years now, and I’ve seen firsthand that Scott brings a deep understanding and appreciation for what it takes to run a successful athletic program, particularly in the Southeastern Conference. I couldn’t be more excited to have Scott serve as the next athletic director at the University of Florida.”
Stricklin will be officially introduced as Florida’s new athletic director at a 1 p.m. ET press conference this afternoon.