A United Front: Florida Football Coaching Staff Is Buttoned Up, Ready To Take On 2022 Season
Billy Napier’s staff also features four coaches who spent substantial time in the NFL as players, with one starting and winning a Super Bowl.
By LOREN MEADOWS
GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst
The man has delivered.
Billy Napier began his initial press conference by promising the Florida faithful he would bring in an “army of people” that would contribute in the areas of “personnel, recruiting, development, nutrition, strength and conditioning,” as well as a focus in areas such as on campus recruiting and name, image and likeness.
The most integral part of this army will be the 11 men that will make up the on field coaching staff for the 2022 Florida Gators. As diverse group of individuals with more than 150 years of college coaching experience combined each with their own personality, standards, and impressive resume both as players and coaches.
In a climate where the acronyms of NIL and NFL loom large, Billy Napier’s staff also features four coaches who spent substantial time in the NFL as players, with one starting and winning a Super Bowl.
While much has been made about the multiple tight end sets on offense utilized by Offensive Coordinator Rob Sale and “Creeper” defense advocate, Co-Defensive Coordinator Patrick Toney, it will be the job of the assistants to resurrect position groups that disappointed in 2021.
Florida found itself on the wrong side of the scoreboard in at least three games where glaring errors were committed by a number of position groups as a whole. Will this group be able to correct the eight false starts against Kentucky, stop the counter and turnovers that doomed the Gators in Baton Rouge, or correct the overall poor efforts in the Columbias?
With any staff there first has to be belief and a common goal. Jabbar Juluke, the Gators running back coach has stated that “Coach Napier has a plan,” and it would seem that the coaching staff as a whole has bought in to this plan. The on-field coaching staff is comprised of six coaches who have spent time with Napier at other schools and share his goals and values.
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Toney speaks of “complementary football, what we do offensively complements what do defensively, and our special teams will complement that as well.” This mentality speaks of a staff that has spent time together and shares and believes in the “organization” that Billy Napier speaks of when discussing his football team.
With many aware of the coordinators on the staff (Napier, Sale, Toney), we take a deeper look at the remainder of the Florida Gator Coaching Staff.
Sean Spencer, Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line-- “Coach Chaos,” as he is known by many is the high-energy catalyst of the coaching staff. Known to chase players when they don’t get to the quarterback, Spencer brings a high level of intensity to his unit. “Every rep counts, go hard in everything you do,” is the standard that Coach Spencer demands. While at Penn State, Spencer coached several NFL players, including Carl Nassib and 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh. He also served as the primary recruiter for current NFL stars Micah Parsons and Saquon Barkley.
Jabbar Juluke, Associate Head Coach-Offense/Running Backs Coach-- A trusted advisor and friend of Napier, Juluke relies on his ability to build relationships as the foundation of his coaching. “The best thing that we are going to do as a running back room is support one another,” Juluke stated during spring practice. This belief in putting the team first is at the center of what Juluke see for the Florida running backs. Prior to his arrival at Florida, Juluke coached NFL back Elijah Mitchell (Louisiana) and Leonard Fournette (LSU). He served as the primary recruiter for Thorpe Award winner Grant Delpit and NFL first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Corey Raymond, Assistant Head Coach-Defense/Cornerbacks-- Thought to be the home run hire of Napier’s staff, Raymond is considered by many to be the standard when it comes to coaching defensive backs. Following a six-year NFL career, Raymond spent nine seasons at LSU coaching some of the best defensive backs in SEC history. During his time at LSU Raymond also earned praise as one of college football’s best recruiters. Cornerback Jason Marshall called Raymond’s arrival in Gainesville “a blessing” and admitted it was hard to turn down the chance to work with Raymond at LSU. Back together, Raymond will look to turn Jason Marshall Jr. into Florida’s next star corner similar to his success in working with names such as Greedy Williams, Derek Stingley Jr., Tre’Davious White, and Jamal Adams.
Jay Bateman, Inside Linebackers-- A 24-year veteran of the college coaching profession, Bateman comes to Gainesville after two years as the defensive coordinator at North Carolina. In 2020, Bateman oversaw a defensive unit that accounted for 36 sacks, which ranked fifth nationally. Prior to UNC, Bateman spent five seasons as defensive coordinator at Army where they ranked in the Top 10 defensively in two of his final three seasons. Bateman will look to get the most out of sixth year player Ventrell Miller, and build on the versatility of Amari Burney and Diwun Black.
Keary Colbert, Wide Receivers-- A 7-year NFL alumnus Keary Colbert brings both a high level of experience and recruiting prowess to the Florida Gators coaching staff. Colbert was a team captain on the 2003 USC Trojans National Championship team and he returned to his alma mater in 2016 as an assistant. In his final two seasons as the Wide Receiver Coach of the Trojans, Colbert coached NFL draft picks Michael Pittman Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Drake London. All who would be drafted in the first four rounds with London going in the first round of the 2022 draft to the Atlanta Falcons. Colbert’s west coast connections have already paid dividends for the Gators as he and Tight Ends Coach William Peagler were able to sign 3-Star athlete Arlis Boardingham from Van Nuys, California in 2022.
William Peagler, Tight Ends-- Peagler comes to Gainesville after two years as running backs Coach at Michigan State. The 2021 Football Scoop Running Backs Coach of the Year, Peagler helped Kenneth Walker III win the Doak Walker Award in 2021 and a second-round NFL draft selection. Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker thanked Peagler by stating “day in and day out he gave everything he had to his football family.” It is that dedication that surely led Napier to look to Peagler when assembling his staff. Peagler has a diverse resume with stops at Georgia, Minnesota and Louisiana. The stops have also allowed Peagler to develop relationships that should pay dividends in recruiting.
Mike Peterson, Outside Linebackers/Alumni Liaison-- A member of the 1996 Florida Gators National Championship Team, former All-American Mike Peterson has returned home. Detailed and tough-minded, Peterson brings a wealth of knowledge gained from a 14-year NFL career. While many remember Peterson as a Gator legend, he has already made an impact on his most experienced pupil. Outside Linebacker Brenton Cox says that he is “happy to have” Mike Peterson coaching him and has been “preaching hard play” to the fifth-year player. Peterson has expressed happiness with returning to Gainesville and says that “Napier has a plan and it trickles down to everybody on staff”.
Darnell Stapleton, Offensive Line-- The Gators are unique in that they will utilize two offensive line coaches to maximize the development of this unit. Stapleton played four NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after helping to lead the Rutgers Scarlet Knights back to national prominence in college. As a Steeler, Stapleton was a starter for the Steelers Super Bowl XLIII winning team. He followed his playing career with coaching stops at Rutgers, Pace, Bucknell, Sam Houston State and Louisiana. Following Napier from Louisiana, Stapleton has already developed a relationship with his fellow offensive line coach Rob Sale. “I learn a lot from him,” Sale states. “We think like-minded, were on the same page, and we embrace it together. He’s an awesome person and an awesome coach and I’m glad he’s on our side.”
Like-minded individuals that believe in the vision that Napier has set forth for his team. The 2022 coaching staff appears up for the task ahead this season. The culture at Florida is in the process of a major makeover and as the Gators move into a new facility, that culture should continue to gain positive momentum. Ultimately the wins and on-the field product will be the barometer for improvement. However, at the start, the coaches seem to be unified, and dedicated to the task. The army should be ready.
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