Time is right for Florida to move on

Florida made the right decision in firing Ron Zook as head coach, while Michigan's team is going in the opposite direction.

Originally Published: October 25, 2004

By Trev Alberts | ESPN Insider

I applaud Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley for admitting his mistake in hiring Ron Zook, by firing Zook in the wake of Florida's loss at Mississippi State last weekend. Things just did not work out for Zook, who went 20-13 with the Gators, and a lot of ADs would not have admitted that so soon.

Florida had some of the best recruiting classes in recent years, yet failed to win big games and SEC championships, which says that either the analysts don't have a clue what they're talking about or Zook and his staff couldn't develop talent. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, but no matter how you look at it, Zook just didn't get the job done.

And it's easy to see why Foley made this decision now: A schedule that still has Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State would have given Zook plenty of opportunity to turn things around and save his job.

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