Photo: Billy Gonzales; Credit: Zach Goodall
Billy Napier's second offseason in charge of Florida football has brought continuity in several areas.
However, his coaching staff underwent some significant changes after year one. Defensive coordinator Patrick Toney, tight ends coach William Peagler and wide receivers coach Keary Colbert each made the jump from college to the NFL in late February, kickstarting expedited search efforts for their replacements with spring practices on the horizon.
That process — while seemingly straightforward regarding the successors of the former two names as Austin Armstrong quickly emerged as the defensive play-caller and Russ Callway already occupied a spot in the building — brought wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales back to Gainesville for a third time.
Unlike the other two hires, where the replacements were already handpicked or operated within the building, Gonzales came from outside of the program following an extensive interview process.
Napier shed light on his decision to bring in the veteran assistant to fill the void Colbert left behind as he departed to Denver.
"I was a former receiver coach, had a ton of respect for Billy G as a young coach," Napier said of Gonzales. "You know, I thought his guys always really played well. Very fundamentally sound, played well without the ball. Did a good job evaluating in recruiting and then did a good job with any talent in this room."
His development resume aligns with Napier's high praise for the newest (and oldest) assistant coach.
In his last stint at Florida, the Gators' pass catchers excelled under his tutelage as he produced Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain, Tyrie Cleveland, Josh Hammond, Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes to witness time in the NFL. Five of the six talents saw time on the main roster, with Jefferson (Los Angeles Rams) and Toney (Kansas City Chiefs) standing out as critical pieces for the previous two Super Bowl champions.
He also had a role in the production of former All-American Kyle Pitts, who operated in a versatile alignment capacity as a pass catcher during his time at Florida despite falling under the tight end designation.
Inheriting a mix of players he recruited to Florida and several new faces, including Ricky Pearsall, Caleb Douglas, Andy Jean, Aidan Mizell and select others, Gonzales will look to provide more of the same from a development standpoint as he retakes the reins of the unit after a one-year hiatus.
Thus far, he's hit the ground running in his guidance of the unit, according to Napier.
"Billy G has been an absolute professional since the day he arrived," he said glowingly. "He's a good man, he's got character. I think he cares about the players and he's certainly an expert at what he does and works in recruiting."
Those characteristics fit the mold of what Napier is trying to instill at the University of Florida during his tenure.
"It's been a great fit. And there's a lot that we can learn from him and his experience here. He's been here and been a part of some really successful teams and knows this place well."
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Billy Napier on WR Coach Billy Gonzales: 'It's Been a Great Fit' - Sports Illustrated
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