June 11, 2026, 7:56 p.m. ET
Florida baseball parted ways with pitching coach David Kopp and assistant coach Taylor Black over the last week. Kopp was relieved of his duties, while Black is headed to NC State to serve as the new recruiting coordinator.
Black’s background as a major league scout and crosschecker made him a valuable piece for Florida’s staff. He helped land big-name additions such as Hurston Waldrep, Colby Shelton and Blake Cyr.
Kopp’s dismissal is the product of Florida’s poor pitching throughout the season and at the Gainesville Regional. While the move was not unexpected for Kopp, there’s still a sense that he is the scapegoat to keep the heat off Kevin O’Sullivan. Kopp saw the pitchers day to day, working with them in bullpens, but he did not call the pitches or decide who to bring into games.
A source told Gators Wire that the relationship between Kopp and Sully had run its course and that Kopp will still be paid by Florida under a contract he signed. Had Kopp chosen to leave as Black did, that money wouldn’t come in. Unless a significant job opens up, Kopp expects to take some time off.
With three assistants leaving in the last calendar year — including Chuck Jeroloman, who joined Tennessee during the fall — Florida’s administration is keeping a closer eye on the program. O’Sullivan is signed to a $1.84 million deal that keeps him in Gainesville until 2033, but a lack of results could eventually catch up to him.
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Sometimes change is good. The Gator Nation hopes that’s the case here.
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