LINCOLN, Neb. -- Less than a month after being named associate head coach for the men's basketball team at Florida, Armon Gates was introduced Monday as an assistant on Tim Miles' staff at Nebraska.
"It was a big-time whirlwind for me," Gates said at a news conference.
Florida coach Mike White had announced the addition of Gates to his staff April 8. Media outlets began reporting last week that Gates would leave the Gators.
Gates said he was not fired at Florida. Florida officials said the school parted ways with Gates and had no further comment.
Gates was an assistant at Northwestern the past five years, and he said he realized shortly after his arrival at Florida that the fit didn't feel right.
"My family, they weren't even there with me yet," he said. "I thought it was a very important time for me to re-evaluate and assess the situation."
Gates had interviewed for an assistant's job at Nebraska previously and, he said, Miles "rubbed off on me in a positive way." Gates said he spoke with Nebraska assistant and friend Michael Lewis about the job opening created when Kenya Hunter left April 9 to be an assistant at UConn.
Gates said he then asked White for permission to speak to Miles.
Miles said Gates encouraged him to call White, and the Florida coach didn't raise any issues about Gates that concerned him.
"Really, as you get into these things, fit is a really important thing," Miles said. "... [Gates is] one of these guys who always has options, because he's so good, and there are several schools who have inquired about him in the past. With these circumstances and with his family, he thinks he can build himself into a better version of himself and build on what we're doing."