Ron Zook

Ron Zook was the head coach of the Florida Gators for three tumultuous seasons from 2002-2004, during which time he accumulated a 23-15 record. He led the Gators to three bowl appearances, but his teams lost all three times. The Gators finished ranked in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll in all three of Zook’s seasons in Gainesville, but never ranked higher than 24th; the team only finished one season ranked in the final Associated Press poll (No. 24 in 2003).

Zook was a mere 6-12 against ranked opponents during his three seasons with the Gators, including a 1-5 record against in-state rivals Miami and Florida State. His struggles made him the figure of disdain among Gators’ fans, eventually leading to the creation of the infamous Fire Ron Zook website.

He was fired following the 2004 season and later took over the head coaching duties at the University of Illinois, where he coached for seven seasons from 2005-11.