Zook’s Short Gators Tenure Laid Groundwork for Meyer’s Titles

Ron Zook left Gainesville with a 23-14 record, three Top-10 road wins, and a roster that would soon deliver Florida’s first national championship since Steve Spurrier — just like I predicted.

Ron Zook never got to hold the crystal football, but if fate had waited one more season, he just might have.

When Steve Spurrier resigned in January 2002, I was co-hosting Conch Town Live on WKWF-AM 1600, serving as the show’s Gator Insider.

At Chili’s that afternoon, before the national networks had even gone live with Spurrier’s announcement, I told li…