Florida Gators Aim to Fix Special Teams Woes Under New Coaching Staff

New special teams coordinator Johnathan Galante and head coach Jon Sumrall are focused on eliminating mistakes that plagued the unit in recent years.

Feb. 7, 2026 at 11:31am

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The Florida Gators' special teams unit has been plagued by frequent mistakes in recent seasons, including too many men on the field, lack of 11 players on field goal block, and other avoidable errors. With the arrival of new head coach Jon Sumrall and special teams coordinator Johnathan Galante, eliminating these mistakes will be a top priority. Galante has emphasized the need for organization, communication, and constant practice to ensure special teams operations run smoothly on game day.

Why it matters

The Gators' special teams struggles have been a source of frustration for the team and its fans, and have at times epitomized the challenges of the previous coaching regime. Sumrall and Galante are determined to change that culture and establish a special teams unit that is a strength for the program.

The details

Galante has outlined specific plans to address the special teams issues, including having players sit in order of the depth chart during meetings to simulate substitutions, and replicating game-day conditions during practice. He is also aware of Florida's strong history of special teams excellence, from standout specialists to Urban Meyer's aggressive and sound units, and is eager to restore that tradition.

  • The Gators' spring practice begins on March 3, 2026.

The players

Jon Sumrall

The new head coach of the Florida Gators, who is heavily involved in overseeing the special teams unit.

Johnathan Galante

The new special teams coordinator for the Florida Gators, who is focused on eliminating mistakes and establishing a well-organized and disciplined special teams unit.

Billy Napier

The former head coach of the Florida Gators, whose tenure was marked by frequent special teams mistakes.

Jeremy Crawshaw

A former standout punter for the Florida Gators, representing the program's strong history of special teams excellence.

Urban Meyer

The former head coach of the Florida Gators, whose special teams units were known for their aggressiveness and sound execution.

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What they’re saying

“It starts from the top down. OK? And we've got a system to handle all those. Game-day operations don't just happen on game-day. You've got to practice it. It's rehearsed. It's something we start even in the special teams meeting. So organization, communication – it can't be different on Saturday than it is during the week. So, it's a process.”

— Johnathan Galante, Florida Gators Special Teams Coordinator (247sports.com)

“This place has a history of tradition for winning, but when it comes down to special teams here, there's so many great players that have played here. First off with specialists, Jeremy Crawshaw, McPherson, Eddy Pineiro, Brandon James as a punt returner, there's a history of tradition for great specialists, but when you think of this place, immediately for me in recent history at least, Urban Meyer's special team units were second to none.”

— Johnathan Galante, Florida Gators Special Teams Coordinator (247sports.com)

What’s next

The Gators will begin spring practice on March 3, 2026, where Galante and Sumrall will put their plans to improve the special teams unit into action.

The takeaway

The Florida Gators are determined to move past the special teams mistakes that plagued the program in recent years, with the new coaching staff focused on instilling discipline, organization, and a renewed emphasis on the third phase of the game. If they can successfully implement their systems and strategies, the Gators' special teams could once again become a strength for the team.