Sports

Florida Baseball Coach Backtracks With Apology As East Carolina Player Details Profanity-Laced Threat

#College Baseball
by Last Updated
Florida baseball coach Kevin O'Sullivan walks on the field.

© Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images


Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan made headlines during NCAA Regional action thanks to a pregame meltdown with his season on the line. The Gators were set to take on East Carolina in a win-or-go-home scenario.

The coach was unhappy in the leadup to the contest, and he let it be known. He exploded upon learning that the Gators‘ Sunday afternoon meeting with the Pirates was being briefly delayed.

The game kicked off at 1 PM instead of noon. That decision was a result of a late finish the night before between East Carolina and Coastal Carolina (roughly midnight).

O’Sullivan was upset with the postponement. Videos of the coach erupting on NCAA officials and host site Coastal Carolina staff members quickly surfaced on social media.

There were also whispers that he’d exploded on the East Carolina baseball team before first pitch, too. The coach was unapologetic when asked about the drama after losing the game.

A few hours after evidence of his bad behavior began trending online, he reversed course.

Kevin O’Sullivan apologized on Monday.

The apology was somewhat generic though it did highlight his negative reaction towards NCAA staff members. It did not, however, specifically reference his alleged actions towards East Carolina players.

Pirates team member Parker Byrd seemed to lend confirmation to the online noise while making a recent radio show appearance. He detailed exactly what went down in the confrontation with Kevin O’Sullivan.

“So, we entered on the first base side, but we were in the third base dugout that game. I was holding a big whiteboard… [O’Sullivan] was already, like, cussing out some of our guys that had already walked by… They didn’t really, like, acknowledge it…

“I walked around the corner, and he was the first person I saw. I was like, ‘Good morning, coach. How are you doing?…’ He was like, ‘F— you. You can stick that whiteboard up you f—- a–.’ My reaction was, like, ‘Are you serious?…’ He was like, ‘Yeah, f— you. You m—f— better be ready to play today.'”

-Parker Byrd via Pirate Radio 92.7 Greenville

For those that don’t know who Parker Byrd is, his story is inspirational. He lost his leg in a boating accident after signing with East Carolina. After 20+ surgeries and a lengthy rehab, he not only returned to the team, but became just the second D1 college baseball player to compete in a game with a prosthetic leg.

O’Sullivan didn’t appear to care about that story or have much respect for his upcoming opponent. The Pirates did hear the coach’s threat loud and clear, though. They came ready to play.

East Carolina ended Florida’s season in blowout fashion with an 11-4 victory. It was the second time in as three days the Pirates had bested the Gators. Byrd credited O’Sullivan’s tirade for providing a spark. It was instant karma!