Virginia women’s basketball hires former Florida head coach as associate head coach
Former Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley was officially announced as Virginia’s associate head coach on Monday.
GREENVILLE, SC - MARCH 06: Florida Gators head coach Kelly Rae Finley during the SEC women's college basketball tournament between the Florida Gators and the Alabama Crimson Tide on March 6, 2025 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S. C. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Two weeks after taking over as head coach of the Virginia women’s basketball program, Aaron Roussell has made his most significant hire yet, officially naming former Florida head coach Kelly Rae Finley as associate head coach on Monday.
Finley took over Florida’s program as interim coach in 2021 before being hired permanently in February of 2022. After going 93-75 overall and 30-50 in SEC play and missing out on the NCAA Tournament the past four years, Finley was fired by Florida with one year remaining on her contract. Less than two months after being let go following an 18-15 season, including 5-11 in the SEC, Virginia’s new head coach has brought Finley in to join his staff.
Despite limited on-court success during her tenure, including only one NCAA Tournament appearance, which came during her year as interim coach, Finley does bring some notable recruiting chops to Charlottesville. Most notably, she secured a top-10 recruiting class in 2024, according to ESPN, including five-star and No. 15 overall recruit Alivia McGill, the team’s leading scorer and assister the past two seasons.
Welcome to Grounds, @kraefin ⚔️ #GoHoos pic. twitter. com/SS4lzh62k5 — Virginia Women's Basketball (@UVAWomensHoops) April 20, 2026 Finley was previously an assistant coach and associate head coach at Florida before being hired as head coach.