Kevin O’Sullivan, Florida Gators

The sixth time proved to the charm for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Florida Gators in 2017. The Gators defeated the LSU Tigers in the College World Series to win the national championship for the first time in program history.

Currently in his 11th season as the Gators’ head coach, O’Sullivan and his staff have transformed Florida into one of the marquee programs in college baseball. The Gators have earned national seeds for the NCAA tournament eight times in 10 seasons – the most in the country since O’Sullivan was hired.

During a tenure which has been marked by tireless recruiting and fundamental coaching, O’Sullivan has overseen a progression up the national ladder by the Orange and Blue that has been punctuated by six trips to the NCAA College World Series in the past eight years. The Gators have won four Southeastern Conference titles in the past seven years (2010-11, 2014-17) and currently have a program-best streak of 10 straight NCAA Tournament berths.

The past three seasons (2015-17) have perhaps been the best in program history. The Florida Gators have a 156-53 (.761) record and have advanced to the CWS three years in a row for the second time in school history. For the first time ever, Florida won more than 50 games for three consecutive years, notching 52 wins in each of the past three seasons.

From 2010-12, the Gators were 147-56 (.724) with three-straight CWS appearances for the first time in school history, three-straight NCAA Regional and Super Regional crowns, consecutive SEC Championships and a pair of SEC Eastern Division titles in ’10 and ’11 and the league’s tournament championship in 2011.

O’Sullivan has had 77 players taken in the Major League Baseball Draft since his arrival at UF and the Gators’ total of 64 selections in the last eight drafts leads the nation. In addition, 11 players have reached the big leagues since being drafted under O’Sullivan.

The Florida Gators boast seven first-round selections in the last six years: Mike Zunino at No. 3 to the Seattle Mariners and Brian Johnson at No. 31 to the Boston Red Sox in 2012, right-hander Jonathon Crawford at No. 20 to the Detroit Tigers in 2013, shortstop Richie Martin at No. 20 to the Oakland A’s in 2015, pitchers A.J. Puk at No. 6 to the A’s and Dane Dunning at No. 29 to the Washington Nationals in 2016 and right-hander Alex Faedo at No. 18 overall to the Detroit Tigers in 2017.