Florida names Kelly Rae Finley women's coach, gives her 5-year deal

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No. 23 Florida removed the interim tag from Kelly Rae Finley's title Monday and gave her a five-year contract to be the team's head coach.

Athletic director Scott Stricklin announced the decision in front of the team, a move that was received with applause and group hugs.

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The 36-year-old Finley took over in July when Cam Newbauer resigned amid allegations that he physically and verbally abused players.

The Gators (20-9, 10-6 Southeastern Conference) regrouped under Finley's guidance and caught fire in early January, moving into the AP Top 25 for the first time in more than five years while winning 10 of 11 games. The hot streak included wins against five ranked teams: at Texas A&M, at Kentucky, against LSU, against Tennessee and at Georgia.

Florida has since cooled, losing three straight to end the regular season after reaching No. 15 in the poll. The Gators, who once looked like they might get the No. 2 seed in the this week's SEC Tournament in Nashville, fell to the fifth seed and will open play Thursday against either Vanderbilt or the Aggies.

"What a cool year," Finley said Monday before the school announced her promotion. "We’ve had ups and downs just like any team, but I’m really, really proud of where we’re at.

"It was a tough week. We didn’t get the results that we wanted, but I know that we’ve grown. So it’s better to have those games before the tournament, and there’s lots to learn from as a whole on the season. I just couldn’t be more proud of our team of their efforts, their commitment to each other and their commitment to getting better."

Finley, a Minneapolis native, spent the previous four seasons