Florida hired Rhode Island coach Tammi Reiss as the next head coach of its women's basketball program on Monday, tasking her with rebuilding one of the school's least-accomplished programs.
Reiss, a three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, spent seven seasons with the Rams. She led Rhode Island to Women's March Madness for the first time in 30 years earlier this month, subsequently losing to Alabama in the first round.
However, under Reiss's leadership, Rhode Island won a school-record 28 games along with a share of the A-10 regular-season title and the conference tournament championship.
The 55-year-old posted a 138-73 overall record with Rhode Island, including 96 wins in the past four seasons. She twice set a program record for victories, with the Rams tripling their average attendance during her tenure.
"Tammi Reiss is a proven winner and an outstanding leader whose experience as both a player and coach stood out throughout this process," said Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin. "[We] look forward to the energy and vision she will bring to our women's basketball program."
Reiss played alongside South Carolina boss Dawn Staley at Virginia, appearing in three consecutive Final Fours from 1990 to 19 —2, including the 1991 national title game. She participated in eight Women's March Madnesses as an assistant, including four at Syracuse before joining Rhode Island.
She replaces Kelly Rae Finley, who was fired two weeks ago after the Gators faced missing the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Finley went 93-75 in five seasons in Gainesville, including 30-50 in SEC play.
Florida fielded a talented rosters this year, with Liv McGill, Me'Arah O'Neal, and Laila Reynolds giving the team three McDonald's All Americans in the starting lineup. But the trio couldn't deliver enough wins in one of the country's deepest leagues.
