University of Florida Football

Former Gator Bam Hardmon enters his first season as the team’s outside linebackers coach. Hardmon was a team captain and Second-Team All-SEC performer in 2002 for the Gators and was a three-time Academic All-SEC honoree. Hardmon returns to Gainesville after spending the last two seasons as the run game coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Tulane from 2024-25. Prior to Tulane, Hardmon worked nine years at Troy, where he was a 2018 Broyles Award nominee and a 2020 finalist for Football Scoop’s Linebackers Coach of the Year. At Troy, Hardmon worked for five years coaching Troy’s outside linebackers and serving as the defensive run game coordinator following four years coaching the inside linebackers and bandits. “Bringing Coach Hardmon back to Florida was a no-brainer,” Sumrall said. “Not only is he a former Gator standout, but he’s a great coach and better person. He has proven throughout his career that he can coach, develop and produce results. I can’t think of a better person to oversee our outside linebackers.” The Green Wave earned a berth to the College Football Playoff in 2025 after capturing the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title. From 2022-25, Hardmon’s teams at Tulane and Troy made four-consecutive conference championship games, winning one AAC and two Sun Belt crowns. “I couldn’t be more excited about being back with Gator Nation where I first started as a player,” Hardmon said. “Gainesville is a special place for me and my family. Coach Sumrall gave me

Brad White enters his first season as defensive coordinator for Florida in 2026. White spent the previous eight seasons on staff at Kentucky, highlighted by his last seven as defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach. During his time in Lexington, the Wildcats made six bowl appearances while ranking among the top-20 FBS teams in both scoring defense (22.1) and total defense (344.1) under his tutelage from 2018-2025. Across seven NFL Drafts while at Kentucky (2019-24), White developed 14 NFL Draft picks and six selections in the top-two rounds on the defensive side of the ball. “Brad is one of the best defensive minds in football and I’m thrilled he will be joining us in Gainesville,” head football coach Jon Sumrall said at the time of his hiring. “Brad has led one of the best defenses in the SEC the last seven years and has extensive experience in the NFL as well. His defenses possess the exact characteristics we are going to have here at Florida and I can’t think of a better leader for that unit.” Over the course of White’s Wildcats tenure, Kentucky evolved into one of the top defenses in the entire SEC. Led by White, Kentucky strung together seven-consecutive, top-45 FBS defenses from 2018-24, featuring four top-25 defenses in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. In 2024, the Wildcats finished sixth in the FBS in red zone defense (70.8%) and 21st in passing defense (183.7). That was followed by a pair of 2025 NFL Draft picks in April, headlined by first-rounder Maxwell Hairston

Buster Faulkner enters his first season as offensive coordinator for Florida in 2026. Instrumental in a trio of national titles runs at Georgia (2021, 2022) and Valdosta State (2007), Faulkner comes to the Gators after serving as the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech the past three seasons (2023-25). He comes equipped with 14 years of experience as an offensive coordinator alone, also coaching the tight ends at Georgia Tech after three seasons at Georgia as an offensive quality control coach (2020-22). Faulkner was also named the 2025 FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year. “Buster is one of the most innovative offensive coaches in football and I couldn’t be happier for him to join our staff,” Sumrall said at the time of his hiring. “Throughout his impressive career, not only has Buster led some of the highest-scoring offenses in the country, but he’s also shown the ability to design and implement his offenses to the strengths of his players. There is not a doubt in my mind that Buster will have our offense lighting up the scoreboard.” In addition to his national championship success, Faulkner boasts six collegiate conference titles and four division crowns, while claiming a high school state championship as both a coach and a player. “I’m extremely excited to get to work under Jon Sumrall,” Faulkner said. “He’s a proven winner and that’s what excites me the most about this opportunity. Florida is a place where we can compete for national championships and I can'

Evan McKissack enters his first season as the program's tight ends coach. McKissack arrives to Gainesville after the last two seasons (2024-25) as Tulane’s Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach. The 2025 Green Wave offensive line finished the regular season ranked sixth in sacks allowed (10) and seventh in tackles-for-loss (48) allowed. They were one of three teams (Cincinnati and Navy) to finish in the top-7 in both categories. A season ago, the group placed eighth in tackles-for-loss (53) allowed and 24th in sacks (18) allowed. “I’m thrilled that Coach McKissack will be joining our staff here in Gainesville,” Sumrall said. “Coach McKissack is an innovative football mind and has experience coaching not only tight ends, but also offensive line, running backs and special teams among others. He will be invaluable on this staff with his knowledge and ability to get the most out of his players.” An American First Team selection this season, McKissack has developed guard Shadre Hurst to rank sixth in pass block (89.6), and seventh in both run block (81.8) and overall grade (81.0) per Pro Football Focus. He has not allowed a sack in 435 pass blocking attempts. The Green Wave earned a berth to the College Football Playoff in 2025 after capturing the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title. From 2022-25, McKissack’s teams at Tulane and Troy made four-consecutive conference championship games, winning one AAC and two Sun Belt crowns. "Extremely thankful to Coach Sumrall for t

Gerald Chatman enters his third season with the Gators in 2026 and his first as Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line. Chatman served as the team's defensive line coach from 2024-25. In 2025, Chatman guided Florida’s defensive line into one of the team’s best units, despite the loss of standout Caleb Banks to injury for most of the season. Seven players in the unit recorded at least on tackle for loss on the year. In 2024, Chatman helped guide Florida to a late-season charge, winning the last four games of the season to finish with an 8-5 record overall, with victories over No. 21 LSU, No. 9 Ole Miss, Florida State and Tulane in the 16th Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl. The Gators were one of just six unranked teams in the nation to post multiple top-25 wins on the year. As a unit, the Florida defense finished the season ranked ninth in the nation in red zone defense (.725), 11th in sacks per game (3.0), 11th in fumbles recovered (11) and 13th in turnovers gained (25). The Gators finished the year with at least one takeaway in 10-straight games and 12 times in 13 games. The Gator defense improved in nearly every statistical category from 2023 to 2024, including sacks (+17), tackles for loss (+28), forced fumbles (+11), pass breakups (+12), interceptions (+11) and turnovers gained (+18). Individually along the interior defensive line, Caleb Banks and Cam Jackson were a formidable duo for opponents all season long. Banks finished with 21 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 s

Greg Gasparato enters his first season as the team’s linebackers coach. He comes to Gainesville after serving the past two seasons as defensive coordinator/safeties coach at Tulane. The Green Wave earned a berth to the College Football Playoff in 2025 after capturing the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title. From 2023-25, Gasparato’s teams at Tulane and Troy made three-consecutive conference championship games, winning one AAC and one Sun Belt crown. “Being able to bring Coach Gasparato to Florida from Tulane is a huge win for our staff,” Sumrall said. “He has had many years of experience, not only being a position coach, but also as a defensive coordinator. His ability to get the most out of our linebacker group will be critical for the success of our defense.” Serving as defensive coordinator/safeties coach in 2024-25, his defenses finished second in the American in yards allowed per game (348.9), opponent passer rating (126.9), yards per completion (10.93) and TD-to-INT ratio (1.21). The Green Wave’s 69 sacks in that span rank first in the American and tied for 15th nationally. “I would like to thank Coach Sumrall for the opportunity to join the Florida football family,” Gasparato said. “Having the chance to work with young men at this tremendous institution is a dream come true. My family and I are excited to make Gainesville our home and we look forward to restoring the championship standard that Gator Nation deserves.” In 2024, Tulane’s defense notched the No. 4 pas

Joe Craddock enters his first season as the team’s quarterbacks coach. Arriving with nine years of experience as an FBS offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Craddock most recently held those same two positions at Tulane (2024-25) and Troy (2022-23). The 14-year collegiate coaching veteran coached the tight ends for two years at UAB (2020-21) after two prior stints as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Arkansas (2018-19) and SMU (2015-17). “Coach Craddock brings a great depth of knowledge and experience to our staff here at Florida,” Sumrall said. “Coach Craddock will be hands-on with our quarterbacks and will be an asset for Coach Faulkner on the offensive staff. He has proven to be a great developer of talent and has a track record of proven results throughout his career.” Beginning his career at Clemson as a player development coach with wide receivers (2012) and later as an offensive graduate assistant with quarterbacks (2013-14), Craddock sharpened his skills under two-time National Champion head coach Dabo Swinney. In his last two seasons at Clemson, Craddock worked with Deshaun Watson and Tahj Boyd, both NFL draft picks. Dating back to his first role at Clemson, Craddock has developed 22 NFL Draft picks including five first-round selections, headlined by star wide receivers Treylon Burks (2022), Mike Williams (2017), Sammy Watkins (2014) and DeAndre Hopkins (2013), in addition to three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Deshaun Watson (2017). In all, former Cra

Johnathan Galante enters his first season as the program’s special teams coordinator. Galante comes to Gainesville after serving as the special teams coordinator at Tulane in 2025. The Green Wave earned a berth to the College Football Playoff in 2025 after capturing the American Athletic Conference (AAC) title. Also in 2025, Galante served as the special team coordinator at Tulane, where his unit was one of the best in country. The Green Wave special teams ranked ninth in the country in ESPN efficiencies ranking, 14th in the ESPN SP+ and 21st in the SFEI rankings. For his efforts, Galante was named a Broyles Award nominee. “Coach Galante has proven to be one of the best special teams coordinators in the country and has SEC experience,” Sumrall said. “His units have consistently ranked among the nation’s best and he’s put players in a position to succeed and earn conference, national and All-America honors.” Also in 2025, Gallante helped guide kicker Patrick Durkin to American Athletic Conference (AAC) Special Teams Player of the Year honors, a first in program history. Along with Durkin, punter Alec Clark earned first-team all-conference accolades, while TJ Smith and Jason Arredondo earned third-team honors as return specialist and long snapper, respectively. “My family and I are extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the historic Florida football program,” Galante said. “We look forward to serving the Gainesville community and bringing a winning edge to the k

Marcus Davis enters his first season as the team’s outside wide receivers coach. He comes to Gainesville from Auburn, we he served as wide receivers coach for three seasons. Davis was a four-year letterman from 2013-16 at Auburn, helping the Tigers win the Southeastern Conference title and earn an appearance in the BCS National Championship game as a freshman in 2013. He was also a team captain for his senior season in 2016. “Coach Davis not only brings SEC coaching experience to our staff, but playing experience as well,” Sumrall said. “ He’s a Florida native who was a team captain and has produced as both a player and coach. There’s no doubt Coach Davis will prove to be a great addition for us.” In 2025, Davis guided a trio of Auburn wide receivers who all tallied over 25 receptions, 450 receiving yards and had at least two touchdowns. Cam Coleman led the Tigers with 708 receiving yards and five scores on 56 receptions, while Eric Singleton Jr. had a team-high 58 receptions for 534 yards and three touchdowns. Malcolm Simmons added 457 receiving yards on 25 receptions with two scores. “My family and I are blessed to be here,” Davis said. “I’m looking forward to getting to work. Go Gators!” In 2024, his unit ranked 28th nationally in passing offense (263.9 ypg) and 15th nationally in yards per completion (13.77). Senior KeAndre Lambert-Smith ranked eighth nationally in yards per reception (19.62) and all-SEC freshman honoree Coleman and Simmons finished in the top three among

Former Gator Phil Trautwein enters his first season as the team’s offensive line coach. He was a two-time national champion, All-SEC selection and team captain for UF during his collegiate playing career. Trautwein joins the Gators after serving as the offensive line coach at Penn State for the last six seasons. Over that time, the Nittany Lions are tied for second nationally with seven offensive lineman selected in the NFL Draft. In his career, Trautwein has seen 10 players get selected in the NFL Draft, including three first round picks. Additionally, over the last seven seasons at Penn State and Boston College, he has mentored 35 all-conference offensive linemen. “Coach Trautwein is as good of an offensive line coach as there is in the country,” Sumrall said. “Add the fact that he’s a two-time national champion, All-SEC honoree and team captain here at Florida, having him join our staff was a no-brainer. Coach Trautwein is an elite teacher of the game and produces NFL draft picks, All-Americans and all-conference performers at an extremely high rate.” Prior to his coaching career, Trautwein was a four-year letterman for the Gators from 2004-08. He played an integral part in the program winning both the BCS National Championships and SEC titles in 2006 and 2008. Trautwein was a two-time All-SEC selection and two-time team captain as a left tackle at Florida, earning first-team honors in 2008 and second-team accolades in 2006. “I couldn’t be happier to be back home at the Un

Rusty Whitt enters his first season as the program’s director of football performance. Whitt brings not only an impressive strength and conditioning coaching...

Trent McKnight enters his first season as the program's passing game coordinator/inside wide receivers coach. McKnight comes to Florida fresh off a two-year stint as Georgia Tech’s wide receivers coach. “Coach McKnight fits the bill on what we need on our offensive staff,” Sumrall said. “He has a ton of experience and is widely respected in college football for the job he does with his players. His relationship with Coach Faulkner will also benefit not only the staff, but our players.” In 2025, McKnight helped Georgia Tech to one of its best seasons this century, finishing 9-3 and ranked top-25 in the College Football Playoff Poll for the second time in program history. The Yellow Jackets' Week 9 AP Poll Ranking (No. 7) marked their highest ranking since 2009. Two Georgia Tech receivers – Jordan Allen (80.2) and Malik Rutherford (78.2) – finished top-10 in the ACC in PFF receiving grade for 2025. Tech’s leading receiver, Eric Rivers, holds the ACC active consecutive-games with a reception streak at 33-straight contests. Rivers recorded a team-high 42 receptions and 556 yards. A true freshman, Allen tabbed the fourth most single-game receiving yards by an ACC rookie in 2025, with 110 yards against Boston College. He also had the longest reception of any ACC true freshman, with a 78-yard snag against Gardner-Webb. “My family and I are extremely grateful to Coach Sumrall for the opportunity to join his staff at the University of Florida,” McKnight said. “I have a ton of respect