Category: Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE — After Jon Sumrall went outside to hire his coordinators, Florida’s new head coach turned familiar faces to fill out his growing Gators’ staff. Sumrall will bring several assistant coaches, including former UF linebacker Bam Hardmon, from Tulane. A day after the Green Wave fell 41-10 at Ole Miss during the opening round of the CFP, Sumrall’s staff began to quickly crystallize during a busy first day as Florida’s full-time coach. A source confirmed Joe Craddock will work with quarterbacks, after serving as Tulane’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the past two...

SUNRISE — Xaivian Lee scored 24 points to pace No. 18 Florida to an 80-70 victory over George Washington in the second game of the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic on Saturday. Lee scored a season high on 6-of-11 shooting, including making 4 of 8 from 3-point range. Thomas Haugh had 19 points and seven rebounds. Boogie Fland finished with 12 points and five assists for the defending champion Gators (6-4), who were coming off losses to top-five ranked Duke and UConn. The Gators stretched a three-point halftime lead with 11 unanswered to start the second half. Rueben Chinyelu’s dunk capped the...

GAINESVILLE — UCF defensive backs coach Brandon Harris reportedly will join new UF coach Jon Sumrall’s staff instead of heading to Florida State. According to Matt Zenitz of CBSSports, Harris is headed to Gainesville after the 35-year-old appeared bound for Tallahassee to replace Patrick Surtain Sr. Harris is the younger brother of former UCF offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr., who also coached the Knights’ receivers in 2024 under former head coach Gus Malzahn. Tim Harris Sr. was a highly successful coach at Miami’s Booker T. Washington Senior High School. Under Brandon Harris, UCF ranked...

GAINESVILLE — The first schedule for Jon Sumrall at Florida offers a chance to quickly see how he stacks up against fellow first-year SEC coaches at schools interested in Sumrall’s services to fill their job openings. Following a soft opening with visits from Florida Atlantic Sept. 5 and Campbell University Sept. 12, Florida heads to Auburn Sept. 19 to face former USF coach Alex Golesh and the Tigers as the first game of the new nine-game SEC schedule. The trip will be the Gators’ first to iconic Jordan-Hare Stadium since a 17-6 loss in 2011. On Sept. 26, Ole Miss will visit the Swamp with...

GAINESVILLE — Florida signed three defensive backs to wrap up coach Jon Sumrall’s inaugural class and place the Gators No. 16 nationally even as Sumrall finishes his tenure at Tulane and transitions his new job. Safety Kaiden “KD” Hall of Milton, located on Florida’s Panhandle, completed the 2026 class when he signed Friday. On Thursday, cornerback CJ Hester of Cocoa High also signed, while safety Dylan Purter flipped his commitment from LSU. The Gators experienced their own signing period drama Friday evening when tight end Kekua Aumua of Hawaii changed his commitment to Washington,...

GAINESVILLE — With Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer in the audience and a skeptical fan base tuned in, new Gators football coach Jon Sumrall made a Tim Tebow-like promise he expects to keep. Sumrall didn’t shy away from the enormous — and at times unrealistic — expectations at Florida when he was introduced Monday at the Heavener Football Center. “The standard here is championships,” he said. “That’s why I came. I’m built for this job. I was made for this job. Winners win; I’m a winner; we’re going to win.” UF hired the 43-year-old away from Tulane to resurrect a once-proud program with three...

GAINESVILLE — If Florida wasn’t going to play football again in 2025, the Gators wanted to make sure Florida State didn’t either. A year with little to celebrate finished on a high note as the Gators ended Florida State’s season during a 40-21 win to stop a four-game skid Saturday night in the Swamp. Tailback Jadan Baugh led the way with a career-high 266 rushing yards and two scores while quarterback DJ Lagway threw three touchdowns for the first time since a season-opening win against Long Island University.  “The way we finished today, it was the first time we played a complete game,”...

GAINESVILLE — Florida’s 7-foot-9 Olivier Rioux stepped to the foul line during a Gators’ blowout win but with plenty at stake for the tallest player in college basketball history. After missing his first attempt off the front rim, Rioux tried for the rebound, thinking it was a lost one-and-one opportunity. Instead, a review by officials determined the 19-year-old — and world’s tallest teen — had been fouled in the act of shooting. Rioux calmly sank his second attempt as a sellout crowd erupted Friday night at the O’Connell Center to celebrate his first points as a Gator and cap the No. 10...

GAINESVILLE — Florida forward Thomas Haugh and point guard Boogie Fland joined forces to lead the No. 10 Gators to a come-from-behind win against Florida State. Haugh, a key to last season’s national championship run, and Fland, the top transfer in a rebuilt backcourt, came together during a dramatic 78-76 win Tuesday night in the O’Connell Center. Haugh finished with 20 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots, while Fland had 18 points, five rebounds and four steals. Two free throws by Fland with 15.8 seconds to go gave UF a 76-73 lead. FSU senior shooting guard Robert...