reddy Tylicki has celebrated a special win with his sister Madeleine

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Born and raised in Mississippi, and with stops at Auburn and Kentucky on his resume, Scott Stricklin has spent more than two decades in the Southeastern Conference.He knows the league inside and out, and has witnessed pretty much everything during his career. So he understands the daunting task of following Jeremy Foley. He also welcomes the opportunity.Florida hired Stricklin as its athletic director Tuesday, giving him a six-year deal worth $1.076 million annually to succeed Foley. Stricklin is leaving his alma mater, Mississippi State, and taking on a massive facilities upgrade in Gainesville. The bigger challenge just might be replacing Foley, one of the most successful college sports leaders in the country.I admire so much what has happened here, Stricklin said. So it was much more excitement than it was trepidation. Its much better starting off from a position of a place thats accustomed to success, knows how to exhibit that success, have the right people in place. ... Im going to benefit from all the work hes done. So I see it as nothing but a positive.Foley had been scheduled to retire Saturday after 40 years with the Gators, including the last 25 as athletic director. During Foleys tenure, the Gators won 27 national championships in 10 sports and 130 SEC titles. He now will remain in place until Nov. 1, creating a little extra transition time.Foley has the option of serving as emeritus AD and senior adviser to the university president for five years after his retirement, either full or part time. He also can choose to be an adviser to Stricklin.Ill be very respectful, Foley said. Im not trying to be the AD behind the curtain. ... Hes not going to fail. All of us are going to do everything we can to make him not fail, and Im going to do my part in that. Ill respect him, respect the decision hes made and I want to do all I can to help him. Thats going to determine where he wants me.Stricklin has been the Bulldogs AD since 2010. He has a background in fundraising, which will serve him well at Florida.Foley unveiled plans two weeks ago to spend $100 million to bring Floridas athletics program up to date, including building a 100,000-square-foot, stand-alone football facility.Stricklin spearheaded more than $140 million in facility improvements during his time at Mississippi State. He also oversaw significant increases in booster club membership and donations.Florida first contacted Stricklin about the opening in June. They talked on and off for a couple of months before negotiations heated up in August. The sides agreed to the deal last week, and it became official when the University Athletic Associations board of trustees unanimously approved the hire Tuesday.For Stricklin, the decision was a no-brainer. He said repeatedly that Florida is the only job he would have left Mississippi State to take.The only constant in life is change, Stricklin said. So we have two choices, right? We can either sit back, kind of let everything move around us, or we can keep pushing forward and making sure Florida maintains its position as the pre-eminent athletic department in the country.To do that, we have to be innovative. We have to be creative. We have to be progressive. We have to continue to push the envelope in all the right ways to make sure Florida maintains its advantage that its had for so many years.Florida has built a reputation as a strong academic institution and has a winning tradition few schools can match. Stricklin can earn up to $200,000 a year in performance bonuses tied to academic and athletic success.Its the best job in college athletics, said Stricklin, who also spent time at Tulane and Baylor.Its certainly in the conversation. The Gators have won the SECs All-Sports Trophy 24 of the last 25 years.Stricklins wife and two daughters, Abby and Sophie, joined him at the introductory news conference. One was born in Waco, Texas; the other in Lexington, Kentucky. They have moved with their father and switched allegiances a few times already. Not surprisingly then, they seemed comfortable decked out in orange and blue.You finally got the best colors in the SEC, Foley told them.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org Buy NHL Jerseys 2020 .C. -- After a listless first half, the Washington Wizards used a big third quarter run to beat the Charlotte Bobcats Bradley Beal scored 21 points and the Wizards used a 17-0 run in the third quarter to take control of what had been a close game and beat the Bobcats 97-83 on Tuesday night. NHL Jerseys 2020 Store . Tests earlier this week revealed a Grade 2 left hamstring strain for Sabathia, who was hurt in last Fridays start against San Francisco. 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The family of paralysed jockey Freddy Tylicki has celebrated a special win with his sister Madeleine Tylicki saddling her first winner as a trainer.Freddy Tylicki has been left paralysed in the lower half of his body following a race fall three weeks ago.His sister, who has been training since June, says the win of First To Boogie in a hurdle at Punchestown has given the family something to smile about.Its my first winner and a very special one, obviously. It will put a smile on the familys face again. Its been a difficult time so Im absolutely delighted, Maddeleine Tylicki said.Today was the plan aand it worked out.dddddddddddd Luck was on our side and it was great for Freddy. It will put a smile on his face. He rang me straight away and he was absolutely delighted.The support and messages weve had since it happened, were so grateful, its very uplifting for Freddy.Its a tough time but hes a very determined young man and hes shown that in his career.Im confident hell fight through this,. Its very tough. Were heading back and forth to the hospital, but were managing. ' ' '