The University of Florida announced Tuesday that veteran coach Todd Butler will join the Gators' baseball staff as an assistant coach, bringing more than 30 years of collegiate experience to a program eager to rebound after a turbulent 2025 season.
A recruiter with a championship pedigree
Butler's career includes a national championship as an assistant at Oklahoma, where he also served as recruiting coordinator and helped shape some of the nation's most coveted signing classes. His long tenure in the Southeastern Conference, with stops at Alabama, Arkansas and Missouri, has made him a familiar face to many of the South's top high school prospects.
From 2014 to 2019 he served as head coach at Wichita State, guiding a 2014 recruiting class to a No. 2 national ranking and a 2018 squad that produced 11 draft picks, among them third‑overall selection Alec Bohm. The experience of developing talent that reaches the major leagues has become a hallmark of his coaching identity.
A strategic addition for Florida's future
Head coach Kevin O'Sullivan welcomed Butler's expertise, noting that the new assistant will focus on both player development and the continued expansion of Florida's recruiting network. Butler's proven ability to attract top talent is expected to accelerate the Gators' efforts to reload for the 2026 season and beyond.
The hiring underscores a broader ambition within the Florida program to restore its status among the nation's elite. With Butler's extensive SEC background and a track record of producing All‑Americans and MLB Draft picks, the Gators hope to turn the page and contend for another College World Series appearance in the near future.