Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse
Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing April 27, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Al Drago-Pool / Getty Images

University of Florida President Ben Sasse is resigning from his leadership position at the end of the month to focus on his family following his wife's epilepsy diagnosis.

The former U.S. senator from Nebraska served as president for less than two years, and said he plans to transition to a teaching and advisory role at the school.

"Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights. I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time. I'm going to remain involved in serving our UF students - past, present, and future - but I need to walk arm-in-arm with my dearest friend more hours of every week," Sasse told University of Florida News.

Sasse has two daughters in college and said his youngest child just turned 13.

Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini thanked Sasse for his service to the university.

"Under his leadership, UF has continued to advance on the national and international stage, benefiting our students, faculty, alumni, community and state. He has left a lasting impact on the university and all of those associated with it. We wish Ben all the best as he steps back to focus on his family," he said in a statement.

Sasse, a Republican, was a contentious choice for the presidency in 2022, facing opposition from some faculty and students due to his stances on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues. During his time in the Senate, Sasse was a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and one of the few GOP senators to vote to convict Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Topics University of Florida, Epilepsy, Trump