Florida Gators defensive line coach Gerald Chatman isn’t going anywhere, as he’s inked a contract extension to continue shaping one of the SEC’s fiercest defenses. Since arriving in December 2023, Chatman has played a crucial role in transforming the Gators’ defensive front into a dominant force in college football.
Billy Napier Sings Words of Praise for Gerald Chatman
Before making his mark in the NCAA, Chatman sharpened his coaching skills in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. His journey then took him to the LSU Tigers in 2021, followed by a key role at Tulane as a defensive coach.
Now, Florida is thrilled to keep him in Gainesville, with head coach Billy Napier weighing in on just how valuable Chatman is to the program’s future.
Chatman’s stellar work in the 2024 season didn’t go unnoticed, earning him a coveted interview for a coaching staff position with the Chicago Bears. While the opportunity could have pulled him away from Gainesville, head coach Billy Napier remained supportive, understanding Chatman’s ambition to explore new horizons in his coaching career.
Still, Billy Napier announced on Feb. 5 that Chatman has signed an extension with Florida for the upcoming 2025 season.
“We just signed Gerald to a new deal just a couple weeks ago,” Napier said. “Gerald interviewed for the Bears job. Look, I always encourage our guys if they get a chance to interview to interview. Some may think I’m crazy, but I just think it’s just good for him from an experience perspective.”
Florida defensive line coach Gerald Chatman signs a contract extension with UF.
“Chat is well deserved,” Billy Napier said. “I think he’s an exceptional coach.”
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Napier sees Chatman’s NFL interest as more than just a career move — he believes that it’s a testament to the credibility of his coaching staff. Chatman’s defensive expertise helped the Gators climb to 11th nationally in total sacks, proving his impact on the field.
“I think it’s a good thing when the NFL is trying to get your assistant coaches. I think that gives you a little credibility,” he added. “Look, we’ve lost four or five around here to the NFL before. So, I just think, to me, it’s just like players to some degree. You’re going to have attrition; we made a move a year ago in that room, and Gerald came in and did a phenomenal job.”
“Chat is well deserved. I think he’s an exceptional coach,” he stated.
Now, the Gators will be going into the next season with strong determination, as they have one of the best defensive line coaches in college football to back them up.
Napier Breaks Silence on Recent Robert Bala Move
Florida is making moves to bolster their coaching staff, reportedly targeting Washington Huskies’ Robert Bala for a co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach role. According to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Bala is expected to leave the Huskies and join the Gators after meeting with Napier in Gainesville on Wednesday, Feb. 12.
Bala will seemingly join Vinnie Sunseri in the move to coach the linebackers and serve as the co-defensive coordinator for Florida.
“I think we potentially here could hire another coach on defense, you know, and let Ron [Roberts] kind of walk around, much like we did the last two-thirds of the year if that makes sense. I think that’s kind of when we started making progress,” Napier said on Feb. 5.
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“So, I think just the expertise and the feedback and having eyes on each position from a meeting, individual, you know, I think that part was healthy for us. So, yeah, I think we’re in the inside linebacker coach world, that could happen.”
Moreover, in an interview with Gator Country, Napier also discussed how the program is looking to hire even more assistant staff and coaches for the upcoming season.
“There’s no limitations in terms of the number of people that you can add to your team that can coach football,” Napier stated. “It would be foolish not to add every good coach that we can add to the team to help develop the players. The new rule where everyone could coach on the field, so you aren’t locked into that traditional 10 coach model.”
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