Florida baseball enters the upcoming season with an overhauled coaching staff that ranks first in the Southeastern Conference for total experience, led by newly appointed pitching coach Rich Dorman and assistant coach Todd Butler. According to national rankings from D1Baseball published during the offseason, Dorman’s hiring slotted in at No. 3 nationally among Division I assistant hires, while Butler’s addition landed at No. 8.
Rich Dorman Brings Elite Pitching Pedigree from Oregon State
Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan secured Rich Dorman from Oregon State to establish greater consistency on the mound. During his seven seasons in Corvallis from 2020 to 2026, Dorman’s pitching staffs consistently ranked among the nation’s elite. In his final season with the Beavers in 2026, Dorman produced the country’s top staff in earned run average at 3.22 and WHIP at 1.14. The 2026 Oregon State staff also reset the program’s all-time strikeout record with 699, led the nation in hits allowed per nine innings at 6.94, and ranked second nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.55.
Across his 10 total seasons in college baseball at Oregon State and Grand Canyon, Dorman mentored 21 pitchers selected in the MLB Draft. His collegiate tenure includes mentoring 11 different pitchers to All-America honors and producing the 2022 National Pitcher of the Year, Cooper Hjerpe. Prior to his collegiate coaching career, Dorman spent eight seasons as a pitching coach within the Seattle Mariners organization.
Todd Butler Adds Veteran Recruiting and Championship Experience
Assistant coach Todd Butler arrives in Gainesville following a three-year stint at Oklahoma from 2024 to 2026. Butler helped guide the Sooners to a 121-66 combined record, culminating in the 2026 College World Series Championship. Last season, Oklahoma led the SEC in stolen bases with 134 and triples with 17, while finishing second in double plays turned with 52.
Butler brings 20 years of experience within the SEC, featuring previous assistant stops at Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama, McNeese and Blinn, alongside head coaching tenures at Wichita State and McNeese. Over his career, Butler has produced 10 top-10 national recruiting classes, appeared in six College World Series, and coached 39 combined All-Americans and Freshman All-Americans, alongside 179 MLB Draft selections.
SEC Experience and Staff Longevity
The addition of Dorman and Butler elevates Florida’s four-man coaching staff—which includes O’Sullivan and Associate Head Coach Tom Slater—to 126 years of combined experience as full-time baseball coaches. That total leads the SEC, representing 31 more years of combined experience than the conference’s next-closest program. The quartet has spent a combined 94 years specifically in Division I baseball.
The Gators are scheduled to officially open their fall baseball season on Monday, Sept. 28, with the first day of team practice.