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UF faithful scratch heads over surprising hire

Reactions from boosters range from reserved to stunned.

By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 10, 2002

The hiring of Ron Zook as Florida's coach brought the same reaction to Gator Country as Steve Spurrier's sudden resignation.

Shock.

"It was obviously quite a surprise," said Tallahassee attorney Wilbur Brewton, a Florida alumnus. "I haven't heard much positive comment. The only positive was from my youngest daughter, Wendy, who said, 'Dad, give him a chance.' ... I would say that the reaction statewide has been, 'Why did we do this?' "

Reviews have, at best, been mixed. Some Florida faithful are outraged, a few are thrilled but most, it seems, have taken the wait-and-see approach.

"I was surprised, but I'm fully supportive," former Tampa Gator Club president Fred Mills said. "I'm a guy that believes the decision was a good one. I don't take a negative reaction to this. I'm taking a positive reaction. I think the players, fans and alumni will rally to his support."

Zook landed at Florida after two high-profile coaches, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos, turned down the job. Until word came Tuesday that Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley was interviewing Zook in New Orleans, the one-time Florida assistant was not thought by many to be a serious candidate.

Perhaps that explains some of the shock.

"Having talked to a number of people, it appears some aren't exactly thrilled with the choice," said Carter McCain, another former Tampa Gator Club president. "But you have to understand, it was only five days ago that Steve Spurrier shocked the nation. When you couple the shock of him resigning and the fact that Stoops and Shanahan chose not to come, you get what I call a Spurrier resigns hangover."

Talk radio and TV stations have been flooded with calls.

"The phone has been blowing up," said Heath Cline, a host for WGGG-AM 1230 in Gainesville. "People are trying to be enthusiastic, and they want to believe Foley made the right decision. On the other hand, people are looking at the fact that Zook has never been a head coach, is a guy coming back from the NFL after six years and has no ties to any players on the current team. That's not exactly the kind of thing people were hoping for. They were looking for a big name. Zook might have a familiar name, but it's not a big name."

"You've got people who are very happy and people who are very upset," said Joe Girvan of WCJB-TV in Gainesville. "It's fair to say the reaction is mixed. To say the Gator nation is beside itself is unfair."

Some ex-players support Zook.

"I've got a lot of faith in Ron Zook," said former linebacker James Bates, who was coached and recruited at Florida by Zook. "He's a great recruiter, a good motivator and a high-energy guy. You can picture yourself playing for a guy who enjoys so much what he's doing. It will be fun."

Because of Foley's positive hiring record, some are giving him the benefit of the doubt.

His best hire to date also drew head scratches. When Foley brought in Billy Donovan from Marshall in 1996 to coach the men's basketball team, Donovan was young and untested.

The Gators made it to the NCAA championship game in 2000, and they're ranked No. 3 this season. Donovan's recruiting classes consistently rank among the nation's best and he is considered to be among the country's top coaches.

"Obviously, I was hoping we would get Stoops or Shanahan, but Jeremy Foley has a history of making good hires," ex-Gator Boosters president Leonard Levy said. "I feel comfortable Jeremy has done what he feels is best for the University of Florida. When he hired (Donovan), I called him to criticize him and said, 'I wish you had the same passion for basketball that you do for other sports, so you would have hired a high-profile coach.' I was like, 'Who is this guy?' "

Today, some are asking the same of Zook.

-- Times staff writer Lucy Morgan contributed to this story.

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