After a 3-4 record to start the 2025 season, and a 22-23 mark over four seasons, Florida ended the Billy Napier era in Gainesville.
Napier, who put together a 40-12 record at Louisiana over four seasons from 2108-21 before taking over the Gators and had a 8-5 record in 2024 with Florida despite arguably the toughest schedule in college football and on the hottest seat in the country, is owed a buyout of $21 million according to his contract.
In a search that began with eyes on Lane Kiffin (who ultimately decided on LSU), the program dipped into the Group of Five ranks again for their latest hire in hiring the accomplished Jon Sumrall away from Tulane. Sumrall, a former SEC assistant on the defensive side of the ball at Ole Miss and Kentucky, built championship programs quickly at both Troy and Tulane, spending two seasons at each and compiling a 42-11 mark heading into the AAC title game weekend with the Green Wave.
Sumrall insisted on staying at Tulane through their championship run to see their season to their conclusion, and Florida obliged.
Sumrall was immediately paired with former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell as the two work together to chart the future for Florida.
Here's the staff that Sumrall is putting together in Gainesville.
OFFENSE
ROLE | COACH | PREVIOUS STOP |
| OC | Buster Faulkner | Georgia Tech OC |
| OL | Phil Trautwein | Penn State OL |
| RBs | Chris Foster | Duke RBs |
| Outside Receivers | Marcus Davis | Auburn WRs |
| TEs | Evan McKissack | Tulane OL |
| QBs | Joe Craddock | Tulane OC |
| Inside Receivers | Trent McKnight | Georgia Tech WRs |
DEFENSE
ROLE | COACH | PREVIOUS STOP |
| DC | Brad White | Kentucky DC |
| Safeties | Chris Collins | Kentucky DBs |
| DL | Gerald Chatman | Florida DL |
| LBs | Greg Gasparato | Tulane DC |
| TBA | Bam Hardmon | Tulane OLBs |
SPECIAL TEAMS
| SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR | Jonathan Galante | Tulane STC |
SUPPORT STAFF
ROLE | PERSON (PREVIOUS ROLE) |
| HEAD S&C | Rusty Whitt (Tulane head S&C) |
| GENERAL MANAGER | Dave Caldwell (Philadelphia Eagles Player Personnel) |
| Director of Football Operations | Jeremiah Cartwright (Tulane DFO) |
| Assistant QBs | AJ Erdely (Georgia Tech Assistant QBs) |
| TBA | Emil Ekiyor (Georgia Tech offensive analyst) |
| TBA | Dylan Dockery (Georgia Tech H-Backs) |
| Assistant OL | Mike Polly (Georgia Tech Assistant OL) |
| Chief of Staff | Cole Heard |
2024 STAFF
| HEAD COACH | Billy Napier |
| OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR / TIGHT ENDS | Russ Callaway |
| EXECUTIVE HEAD COACH / DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR | Ron Roberts |
| SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR | Joe Houston |
| QUARTERBACKS | Ryan O'Hara |
| ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH / RUNNING BACKS | Jabbar Juluke |
| WIDE RECEIVERS | Bill Gonzales |
| OFFENSIVE LINE | Rob Sale |
| DEFENSIVE LINE | Gerald Chatman |
| CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR / ILBs | Robert Bala |
| EDGES | Mike Peterson |
| CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR / SAFETIES | Vinnie Sunseri |
| EDGES / ALUMNI LIASON | Mike Peterson |
| DEFENSIVE BACKS | Deron Wilson |
| DIRECTOR OF S&C | Tyler Miles |
| ASSOCIATE AD / FOOTBALL GM | Nick Polk |
| Assistant OL | Jonathan Decoster |
| GM of player personnel | Jacob LaFrance |
| Assistant AD of recruiting strategy | Katie Turner |
| Director of football strategy | Benjamin Elsner |
| Director of player personnel | Nick McDonald |
| Director of scouting / recruiting relations / NFL liaison | Joe Hamilton |
| Director of recruiting operations | Skylar Wise |
| On-Campus recruiting coordinator | Kaleah Theus |
| Director of football logistics / NFL liaison | Ashor Peera |
| Director of college personnel | Chris Prescott |
| Assistant director of college personnel | Drew Raucina |
| Director of FB nutrition / assistant S&C | Jake Sankal |
| Associate director of player performance | Jesse Ackerman |
| Director of player athletic development | Rodney Hill |
| Assistant director for player athletic development | Frank Ogas |
| Assistant S&C | Jason Jones |
| Assistant S&C | Alex Watkins |
| Senior director of sports health and performance | Paul Silvestri |
| Associate director sports health | Tony Hill |
| Assistant director of sports health | Matt Redd |
| Senior director of player relations / GatorMade | Savannah Bailey |
| Assistant director of GatorMade Player Relations | Diane Lebon |
| Assistant director of player development | Brandon Spikes |
| Director of video services | Reuel Joaquin |
| Assistant director of football video | Jake Failla |
| Assistant director of football video | Shane Morgan |
| Football video assistant | Carson Kaley |
| Football video intern | Elijah Fararo |
| Director football equipment | Jeff McGrew |
| Assistant director athletic equipment | Parker Brown |
| Assistant director football equipment | Jake Taccone |
| Equipment assistant | Jake Balliu |
| Associate director (secondary football) | Matthew Hutchinson |
| Associate director (tertiary football) | Sullivan Bortner |
| Senior director of football creative | Anthony Garro |
| Director of football creative video | Peter Fortunato |
| Associate director / FB recruiting creative strategy and content | Brett Burnett |
| Associate director FB social media strategy | Ethan Roy |
| Assistant director football creative video | Aidan McGinnis |
| Assistant director of football creative | Alyssa Morrison |
| Senior offensive analyst | John Donovan |
| Offensive analyst | William Peagler |
| Offensive analyst | Steve Spurrier Jr. |
| Offensive line analyst | Roy Istvan |
| Assistant special teams analyst | Colin Wood |
| QC - Personnel | Ross Bares |
| QC - Special teams | Cason Bicknell |
| Quality control | Mason Collins |
| QC - Wide receiver | David Doeker |
| QC - Inside linebackers | Cannon Gibbs |
| QC - Offensive line | Kaleb Johnson |
| QC - Offense | Eric Kiesau |
| QC - Wide receivers | Chad Lucas |
| QC - Defensive line | Jeremy Patterson |
| QC - Quarterbacks | Justin Posthuma |
| QC - Defense | Blake Shrader |
| QC - Personnel | Lamar Sorey |
| QC - Defensive backs | Dae'one Wilkins |
| On-campus recruiting intern | Riley Hickok |
| On-campus recruiting intern | Jack Hunt |
| On-campus recruiting intern | Esohe Igienhon-Osemwegie |
| On-campus recruiting intern | Tyler Tomecek |
| On-campus recruiting intern | Angela Williams |
| Director of football operations | Joshua Thompson |