Arizona soccer head coach Tony Amato has been hired away as the new head coach at Florida, the Gators announced Monday afternoon.
It’s a tremendous loss for the UA. Amato turned around an Arizona program that was once the worst in the Pac-12. In eight seasons, Amato’s team posted a 88-53-17 record including five NCAA Tournament appearances and a 39-39-9 Pac-12 record.
In the four seasons before his arrival, the Wildcats went 16-55-7, never winning more than two Pac-12 games. Arizona’s conference record during that four-year stretch? 5-34-3.
“The University of Florida is a special place and I am extremely excited for this opportunity,” Amato said in a statement.