Muschamp appreciates support of Gators lacrosse coach Amanda O'Leary to kick off fall camp
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 | Football, Men's Tennis, Scott Carter
The up-and-coming Florida lacrosse program has a new fan.
First-year Gators football coach Will Muschamp speaks often about how impressed he is with UF's facilities and the support from other coaches on campus. He is experiencing that support daily as the Gators use Don Dizney Stadium as their practice facility at the start of fall camp.
Muschamp opened his press conference on Wednesday by thanking Gators lacrosse coach Amanda O'Leary for allowing the football team to use the $15 million facility, which was completed in the fall of 2009.
“It's been great,'' Muschamp said. “They've got a great surface; our people do a great job. I think our guys have enjoyed a little change of pace there. We'll practice there until about Practice 12 or 14 and then come back to our fields.''
The Gators are practicing on the main field at Dizney Stadium as well as the Rob Gidel Family Practice Field to preserve the football practice fields for later in camp and the wear-and-tear of the regular season. Florida started moving the early portion of fall camp to another site under Urban Meyer.
In recent years the UAA paid rental fees for the team to use the UVS intramural fields located next to the Southwest Recreation Center on UF's campus.
As ESPN's Jesse Palmer watched offensive coordinator Charlie Weis instruct the quarterbacks during drills at Monday's practice – in the same general area where Gators lacrosse standout Kitty Cullen celebrated the program's biggest victory in an upset over Northwestern in April by running around wildly – Palmer was impressed.
“This place is awesome,'' said the former Gators quarterback. “I wish we would have had a place to practice like this when I was here.''
The Gators football team practicing at the school's lacrosse stadium on Monday.
