Throughout December, Florida football has shifted its focus on the program's future.
The Gators limped to an 5-7 finish in Billy Napier's second year atop the program, and they've seen a lengthy list of players enter their names into the NCAA Transfer Portal.
But Napier has sought to revamp his Florida regime; already he dismissed co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer, as well as secondary coach Corey Raymond. Napier plucked Will Harris from the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.
As the Gators assembled a consensus top-15 2024 signing class Wednesday at the onset of the NCAA's December early signing period, Napier also continued his quest to revamp the Florida strength and conditioning program.
Several sources told FootballScoop that Napier has identified a need for new leadership atop the Gators' strength program.
Florida is deep in its interview process for its next director of strength and conditioning for football, sources told FootballScoop.
Among the top targets to have emerged in the Florida search: New York Giants strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald, ex-Notre Dame head strength coach Matt Balis and Alabama Director of Applied Science Paul Constantine.
Additionally on Wednesday, sources confirmed to FootballScoop that Napier has hired Gerald Chatham away from Tulane to serve as defensive line coach.
Constantine is seen as the top assistant to heralded Alabama top strength director David Ballou and also has familiarity with noted New Orleans Saints strength coach Matt Rhea. The trio have ties back to their association with the Indiana University football program. Constantine is widely viewed among peers as a fast-rising star in the strength and conditioning realm.
Balis had been the beloved director of Notre Dame's strength program; he resigned due to family reasons in late July. The former head of strength programs at Mississippi State and Utah, as well as his run that spanned the end of Brian Kelly's tenure at Notre Dame and the transition to Marcus Freeman also has been a past finalist for FootballScoop's Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.
Fitzgerald has SEC experience in addition to spending the past four years back in the NFL with the Giants. A former player at Maryland, FItzgerald has run Power 5 strength programs at Penn State, South Carolina and Tennessee, among other stops, as well as for Bill O'Brien with the Houston Texans.
Mark Hocke has been the head of the Gators' football strength program; he followed Napier from Louisiana when Napier was hired after the 2021 season following his record-setting success atop the Cajuns' program.
Sources told FootballScoop that Hocke could be reassigned within the Florida athletics program or seek a fresh start.