Steve Spurrier Jr. gets elevated role on Florida coaching staff following firing of Billy Napier

Nearly 30 years ago, Steve Spurrier led Florida Gators to a national title. Now, the Gators are hoping the son of the "Head Ball Coach" can help the team's struggling offense for the remainder of the season. 

Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales told reporters Wednesday that Steve Spurrier Jr. will be more involved in the coaching of sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway in the lead up to the Gators' matchup with No. 5 Georgia on Nov. 1. Spurrier, who was hired as an offensive analyst earlier this year, will have a more hands-on role amid a staff reshuffling following the firing of Billy Napier over the weekend. 

"What we're trying to do right now is tweak a couple things so we can put our players in a better situation to go out and make plays and perform at a higher level," Gonzales said, per The Associated Press. "We all understand that's what we need to do. So that's the No. 1 goal for us as a coaching staff right now." 

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The 54-year-old Spurrier's most recent coaching stops were at Tulsa (2023-24), Mississippi State (2020-22, Washington State (2018-19), Western Kentucky (2017) and Oklahoma (2016). He also spent a decade worker under his father at South Carolina in a variety of roles, including wide receivers coach, passing game coordinator and co-offensive coordinator. 

A wide receiver at Duke from 1989-1993, Spurrier was a graduate assistant under his father at Florida from 1994-98. During that span, the Gators went 54-8-1 that included a 12-1 record and national title in 1996. 

The younger Spurrier won his second national title in 2000 during his second of three seasons as Oklahoma's receivers coach under Bob Stoops. He then spent two years in the NFL while working on his father's staff in Washington before returning to the college coaching ranks. 

Spurrier will now try to help a Gators offense that is currently 105th in the nation in points per per game. He will specifically be tasked with helping Lagway, who has thrown nine touchdowns and an SEC-high nine interceptions during the Gators' first seven games. 

"Whenever you're around one of the greatest offensive minds in history, it's obviously going to rub off on you as well," Gonzales said. "He's been involved, but now he's going to have more of a role because he's going to be down there on the field with the quarterback looking in his eyes and getting a chance to talk to him and review the film that's being relayed. It's going to put us in a great situation to help DJ and the quarterbacks perform on the football field."

The Gators improved to 3-4 with a 23-21 home win over Mississippi State last Saturday.