Defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, a holdover from the Billy Napier era, will serve as Florida football’s assistant head coach under newly-annointed skipper Jon Sumrall’s staff, the program announced on Friday.
“When I first arrived in Gainesville, one of my first tasks was to retain Coach Chatman on our staff,” Sumrall said in a prepared statement. “I’ve always respected Coach Chatman – the type of coach he is and how he leads his players. He is a great developer of talent and one of the best defensive line coaches in the country. I couldn’t be more excited to coach with him.”
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Chatman has been with the Orange and Blue for the past two seasons in the same capacity, helping to bring some top prospects to the Swamp. During the 2026 recruiting cycle, he signed a pair of 247Sports Composite top-250 defensive line prospects in JaReylan McCoy and Kendall Guervil; in 2025, it was Joseph Mbatchou and Jeramiah McCloud, both of whom contributed significantly during their true freshman campaigns.
As a unit, the Florida defense finished the 2024 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 unit 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).
The 37-year-old coach interviewed with the Chicago Bears for their defensive line coach opening prior to the 2025 campaign, but elected to return to Florida.
“My family and I are blessed to be a part of the University of Florida, the UAA and the Gainesville community,” Chatman offered after accepting the promotion. “We are grateful and embrace the opportunity to work with Coach Sumrall and his family. He will lead with toughness, grit and character which will result in winning and sustaining a winning culture.”
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football’s Gerald Chatman promoted to assistant head coach
