The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The university fielded its first official varsity football team in the fall of 1906, and has fielded a team every season since then, with the exception of 1943 during World War II. The University of Florida did not adopt the "Florida Gators" nickname for its sports teams until 1911, and the early Florida football teams were known simply as "Florida" or the "Orange and Blue." The football team played most of their home games at on-campus Fleming Field until 1930, when Florida Field was constructed.
During the early 1900s, the Florida football team competed in the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS), but was not affiliated with an athletic conference. Later, Florida was a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Conference, before joining with a dozen other schools to establish the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1932. Since 1992, the Gators have competed in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly known as "Division I-A"), and the Eastern Division of the SEC.
The list below list presents the season-by-season win–loss records of the Gators football team from its beginning, including its post-season bowl records. [1]
| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Forsythe (Independent)(1906–1908) | |||||||||
| 1906 | Jack Forsythe | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1907 | Jack Forsythe | 4–1–1 | |||||||
| 1908 | Jack Forsythe | 5–2–1 | |||||||
| George E. Pyle (Independent)(1909–1911) | |||||||||
| 1909 | George E. Pyle | 6–1–1 | |||||||
| 1910 | George E. Pyle | 6–1 | |||||||
| 1911 | George E. Pyle | 5–0–1 | |||||||
| George E. Pyle(SIAA)(1912–1913) | |||||||||
| 1912 | George E. Pyle | 5–2–1 | 0–2–1 | 16th | |||||
| 1913 | George E. Pyle | 4–3 | 2–2 | T–8th | |||||
| Charles J. McCoy (SIAA)(1914–1916) | |||||||||
| 1914 | Charles J. McCoy | 5–2 | 3–2 | 7th | |||||
| 1915 | Charles J. McCoy | 4–3 | 3–3 | 10th | |||||
| 1916 | Charles J. McCoy | 0–5 | 0–4 | 25th | |||||
| Alfred L. Buser (SIAA)(1917–1919) | |||||||||
| 1917 | Alfred L. Buser | 2–4 | 1–3 | T–13th | |||||
| 1918 | Alfred E. Buser | 0–1 | 0–0 | N/A | |||||
| 1919 | Alfred E. Buser | 5–3 | 2–2 | 13th | |||||
| William G. Kline (SIAA)(1920–1921) | |||||||||
| 1920 | William G. Kline | 6–3 | 1–2 | 16th | |||||
| 1921 | William G. Kline | 6–3–2 | 4–1–2 | 6th | |||||
| William G. Kline(Southern)(1922) | |||||||||
| 1922 | William G. Kline | 7–2 | 2–0 | 5th | |||||
| James Van Fleet (Southern)(1923–1924) | |||||||||
| 1923 | James Van Fleet | 6–1–2 | 1–0–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1924 | James Van Fleet | 6–2–2 | 2–0–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Harold Sebring (Southern)(1925–1927) | |||||||||
| 1925 | Harold Sebring | 8–2 | 3–2 | 8th | |||||
| 1926 | Harold Sebring | 2–6–2 | 1–4–1 | T–19th | |||||
| 1927 | Harold Sebring | 7–3 | 5–2 | 6th | |||||
| Charlie Bachman (Southern)(1928–1932) | |||||||||
| 1928 | Charlie Bachman | 8–1 | 6–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1929 | Charlie Bachman | 8–2 | 6–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1930 | Charlie Bachman | 6–3–1 | 4–2–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1931 | Charlie Bachman | 2–6–2 | 2–4–2 | 15th | |||||
| 1932 | Charlie Bachman | 3–6 | 1–6 | 20th | |||||
| Dennis K. Stanley (SEC)(1933–1935) | |||||||||
| 1933 | Dennis K. Stanley | 5–3–1 | 2–3 | T–9th | |||||
| 1934 | Dennis K. Stanley | 6–3–1 | 2–2–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1935 | Dennis K. Stanley | 3–7 | 1–6 | 12th | |||||
| Josh Cody (SEC)(1936–1939) | |||||||||
| 1936 | Josh Cody | 4–6 | 1–5 | 11th | |||||
| 1937 | Josh Cody | 4–7 | 3–4 | 8th | |||||
| 1938 | Josh Cody | 4–6–1 | 2–2–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1939 | Josh Cody | 5–5–1 | 0–3–1 | 12th | |||||
| Thomas Lieb (SEC)(1940–1946) | |||||||||
| 1940 | Thomas Lieb | 5–5 | 2–3 | 8th | |||||
| 1941 | Thomas Lieb | 4–6 | 1–3 | 10th | |||||
| 1942 | Thomas Lieb | 3–7 | 1–3 | 9th | |||||
| 1943 | No team | ||||||||
| 1944 | Thomas Lieb | 4–3 | 0–3 | 10th | |||||
| 1945 | Thomas Lieb | 4–5–1 | 1–3–1 | T–10th | |||||
| Raymond Wolf (SEC)(1946–1949) | |||||||||
| 1946 | Raymond Wolf | 0–9 | 0–5 | 12th | |||||
| 1947 | Raymond Wolf | 4–5–1 | 0–3–1 | 12th | |||||
| 1948 | Raymond Wolf | 5–5 | 1–5 | T–10th | |||||
| 1949 | Raymond Wolf | 4–5–1 | 1–4–1 | T–10th | |||||
| Bob Woodruff (SEC)(1950–1959) | |||||||||
| 1950 | Bob Woodruff | 5–5 | 2–4 | 10th | |||||
| 1951 | Bob Woodruff | 5–5 | 2–4 | T–9th | |||||
| 1952 | Bob Woodruff | 8–3 | 3–3 | 6th | W Gator | 15 | |||
| 1953 | Bob Woodruff | 3–5–2 | 1–3–2 | 9th | |||||
| 1954 | Bob Woodruff | 5–5 | 5–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1955 | Bob Woodruff | 4–6 | 3–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1956 | Bob Woodruff | 6–3–1 | 5–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1957 | Bob Woodruff | 6–2–1 | 4–2–1 | T–3rd | 17 | ||||
| 1958 | Bob Woodruff | 6–4–1 | 2–3–1 | T–8th | L Gator | 15 | 14 | ||
| 1959 | Bob Woodruff | 5–4–1 | 2–4 | 9th | 19 | 19 | |||
| Ray Graves (SEC)(1960–1969) | |||||||||
| 1960 | Ray Graves | 9–2 | 5–1 | 2nd | W Gator | 16 | 18 | ||
| 1961 | Ray Graves | 4–5–1 | 3–3 | 6th | |||||
| 1962 | Ray Graves | 7–4 | 4–2 | 5th | W Gator | ||||
| 1963 | Ray Graves | 6–3–1 | 3–3–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1964 | Ray Graves | 7–3 | 4–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1965 | Ray Graves | 7–4 | 4–2 | 3rd | L Sugar | 12 | |||
| 1966 | Ray Graves | 9–2 | 5–1 | 3rd | W Orange | 11 | |||
| 1967 | Ray Graves | 6–4 | 4–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1968 | Ray Graves | 6–3–1 | 3–2–1 | T–6th | |||||
| 1969 | Ray Graves | 9–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 4th | W Gator | 17 | 14 | ||
| Doug Dickey (SEC)(1970–1978) | |||||||||
| 1970 | Doug Dickey | 7–4 | 3–3 | T–5th | |||||
| 1971 | Doug Dickey | 4–7 | 1–6 | T–8th | |||||
| 1972 | Doug Dickey | 5–5–1 | 3–3–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1973 | Doug Dickey | 7–5 | 3–4 | T–5th | L Tangerine | 19 | |||
| 1974 | Doug Dickey | 8–4 | 3–3 | T–4th | L Sugar | 12 | 15 | ||
| 1975 | Doug Dickey | 9–3 | 5–1 | T–2nd | L Gator | ||||
| 1976 | Doug Dickey | 8–4 | 4–2 | T–3rd | L Sun | ||||
| 1977 | Doug Dickey | 6–4–1 | 3–3 | 5th | |||||
| 1978 | Doug Dickey | 4–7 | 3–3 | T–4th | |||||
| Charley Pell (SEC)(1979–1984) | |||||||||
| 1979 | Charley Pell | 0–10–1 | 0–6 | T–9th | |||||
| 1980 | Charley Pell | 8–4 | 4–2 | T–4th | W Tangerine | 19 | |||
| 1981 | Charley Pell | 7–5 | 3–3 | T–4th | L Peach | ||||
| 1982 | Charley Pell | 8–4 | 3–3 | T–6th | L Bluebonnet | ||||
| 1983 | Charley Pell | 9–2–1 | 4–2 | T–3rd | W Gator | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1984 | Charley Pell [n 1] | 9–1–1 [n 1] | 5–0–1 [n 1] | 1st [n 2] | Ineligible [n 2] | 7 | 3 | ||
| Galen Hall (SEC)(1985–1989) | |||||||||
| 1985 | Galen Hall | 9–1–1 | 5–1 | T–1st [n 3] | Ineligible [n 3] | [n 3] | 5 | ||
| 1986 | Galen Hall | 6–5 | 2–4 | T–7th | |||||
| 1987 | Galen Hall | 6–6 | 3–3 | 6th | L Aloha | ||||
| 1988 | Galen Hall | 7–5 | 4–3 | T–4th | W All-American | ||||
| 1989 | Galen Hall [n 4] | 7–5 [n 4] | 4–3 [n 4] | T–4th | L Freedom | ||||
| Steve Spurrier (SEC)(1990–2001) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Steve Spurrier | 9–2 | 6–1 | 1st [n 5] | Ineligible [n 5] | 13 | |||
| 1991 | Steve Spurrier | 10–2 | 7–0 | 1st | L Sugar | 8 | 7 | ||
| 1992 | Steve Spurrier | 9–4 | 6–2 | T–1st (East) | W Gator | 11 | 10 | ||
| 1993 | Steve Spurrier | 11–2 | 7–1 | T–1st (East) | W Sugar | 4 | 5 | ||
| 1994 | Steve Spurrier | 10–2–1 | 7–1 | 1st (East) | L Sugar | 7 | 7 | ||
| 1995 | Steve Spurrier | 12–1 | 8–0 | 1st (East) | L Fiesta | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1996 | Steve Spurrier | 12–1 | 8–0 | 1st (East) | W Sugar | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1997 | Steve Spurrier | 10–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd (East) | W Citrus | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1998 | Steve Spurrier | 10–2 | 7–1 | 2nd (East) | W Orange † | 6 | 5 | ||
| 1999 | Steve Spurrier | 9–4 | 7–1 | 1st (East) | L Citrus | 14 | 12 | ||
| 2000 | Steve Spurrier | 10–3 | 7–1 | 1st (East) | L Sugar † | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2001 | Steve Spurrier | 10–2 | 6–2 | 2nd (East) | W Orange † | 3 | 3 | ||
| Ron Zook (SEC)(2002–2004) | |||||||||
| 2002 | Ron Zook | 8–5 | 6–2 | 2nd (East) | L Outback | 24 | |||
| 2003 | Ron Zook | 8–5 | 6–2 | T–1st (East) | L Outback | 25 | 24 | ||
| 2004 | Ron Zook [n 6] | 7–5 [n 6] | 4–4 | T–3rd (East) | L Peach | 25 | |||
| Urban Meyer (SEC)(2005–2010) | |||||||||
| 2005 | Urban Meyer | 9–3 | 5–3 | T–2nd (East) | W Outback | 16 | 12 | ||
| 2006 | Urban Meyer | 13–1 | 7–1 | 1st (East) | W BCS NCG † | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2007 | Urban Meyer | 9–4 | 5–3 | 3rd (East) | L Capital One | 16 | 13 | ||
| 2008 | Urban Meyer | 13–1 | 7–1 | 1st (East) | W BCS NCG † | 1 | 1 | ||
| 2009 | Urban Meyer | 13–1 | 8–0 | 1st (East) | W Sugar † | 3 | 3 | ||
| 2010 | Urban Meyer | 8–5 | 4–4 | 2nd (East) | W Outback | ||||
| Will Muschamp (SEC)(2011–2014) | |||||||||
| 2011 | Will Muschamp | 7–6 | 3–5 | 3rd (East) | W Gator | ||||
| 2012 | Will Muschamp | 11–2 | 7–1 | T–1st (East) | L Sugar † | 10 | 9 | ||
| 2013 | Will Muschamp | 4–8 | 3–5 | 5th (East) | |||||
| 2014 | Will Muschamp [n 7] | 7–5 [n 7] | 4–4 | 3rd (East) | W Birmingham | ||||
| Jim McElwain (SEC)(2015–2017) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Jim McElwain | 10–4 | 7–1 | 1st (East) | L Citrus | 25 | 25 | ||
| 2016 | Jim McElwain | 9–4 | 6–2 | 1st (East) | W Outback | 13 | 14 | ||
| 2017 | Jim McElwain [n 8] | 4–7 [n 8] | 3–5 [n 8] | 5th (East) | |||||
| Dan Mullen (SEC)(2018–2021) | |||||||||
| 2018 | Dan Mullen | 10–3 | 5–3 | T–2nd (East) | W Peach † | 6 | 7 | ||
| 2019 | Dan Mullen | 11–2 | 6–2 | 2nd (East) | W Orange † | 7 | 6 | ||
| 2020 | Dan Mullen | 8–4 | 8–2 | 1st (East) | L Cotton † | 12 | 13 | ||
| 2021 | Dan Mullen [n 9] | 6–7 | 2–6 [n 9] | 6th (East) | L Gasparilla | ||||
| Billy Napier (SEC)(2022–present) | |||||||||
| 2022 | Billy Napier | 6–7 | 3–5 | 5th (East) | L Las Vegas | ||||
| 2023 | Billy Napier | 5–7 | 3–5 | 5th (East) | |||||
| Total: | 755–438–40 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as the "Gator Nation." The Gators compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and are consistently ranked among the top college sports programs in the United States. The University of Florida currently fields teams in nine men's sports and twelve women's sports.
John L. Williams is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Williams played college football for the Florida Gators. A first-round pick in the 1986 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
Galen Samuel Hall is a retired American college and professional football coach and player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football. Hall was previously the offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Florida, and the head coach of the University of Florida, the Orlando Thunder, the Rhein Fire, and the XFL's Orlando Rage. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, Penn State.
Charles Byron Pell was an American college football player and coach. Pell was an Alabama native and an alumnus of the University of Alabama, where he played college football. He is most notably remembered as the head coach of the Clemson University and the University of Florida football teams. Pell was credited with laying the foundation for the later success of both programs, but his coaching career was tainted by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules violations.
Douglas Adair Dickey is an American former college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football. He is best known as the head coach of the University of Tennessee and the University of Florida football teams, and afterward, as the athletic director of the University of Tennessee.
Lomas Brown Jr. is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Brown played college football for the Florida Gators, receiving consensus All-American honors. A first-round pick in the 1985 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Detroit Lions and four other NFL teams. He is currently a color analyst for Lions radio broadcasts on WXYT 97.1 The Ticket, as well as a commentator and analyst for ESPN and other television and radio networks.
The Florida Gators football program represents the University of Florida (UF) in American college football. Florida competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) They play their home games on Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville campus.
Kerwin Douglas Bell is an American football coach and former player who has been the head coach of the Western Carolina Catamounts football team since 2021. He played professionally as a quarterback for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), World League of American Football (WLAF) and the Canadian Football League (CFL) in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
Ricky Rennard Nattiel, nicknamed "Ricky the Rocket", is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for six seasons with the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Nattiel played college football for the Florida Gators before playing professionally for the Broncos.
The 2004 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gators competed in Division I-A of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. The season was the third and last for head coach Ron Zook, who led the Gators to a regular season record of 7–4 (.636).
Bobby Joe Green was an American football professional punter who played in the National Football League (NFL) for fourteen seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Florida Gators.
James Roosevelt Jones is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons during the 1980s and early 1990s. Jones played college football for the Florida Gators and then played professionally for the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.
David Lawrence Galloway is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and early 1990s. Galloway played college football for the Florida Gators, earning All-American honors. A second-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft, he played professionally for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the Denver Broncos of the NFL.
Timothy Reginald Newton is an American former college and professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Newton played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs of the NFL.
The 1979 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was Charley Pell's first of six as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Pell arrived in Gainesville with a new plan for building the Gators football program—new offensive and defensive schemes, new assistant coaches, a new attitude and new boosters fund-raising model to support the program and improve the stadium and training facilities. Pell's plan would produce many on-the-field victories over the next five years, but his first campaign as the Gators coach produced the most losses in any single season in Gators football history, ending with a winless 0–10–1 overall record and a 0–6 record in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team, which was plagued by injuries, placed dead last among ten SEC teams. This was the last time until 2013 that Florida fielded a team with a losing record.
The 1980 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was the Florida Gators football team's second season under new head coach Charles B. "Charley" Pell, and marked a remarkable one-year turnaround for the Gators from their 0–10–1 record in 1979. The winless 1979 season was the worst season in Gators history, and it was Pell's first campaign as the new head coach of the Gators, after the Gators' previous head coach, Doug Dickey, was fired in the aftermath of a 4–7 season in 1978. Pell's 1980 Florida Gators posted an 8–4 overall record and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 4–2, tying for fourth place in the ten-team SEC. The Gators capped their season with a 35–20 bowl victory over the Maryland Terrapins in the Tangerine Bowl, marking the first time in the history of major college football that a winless team received a bowl bid the following season. Linebacker David Little set the career record for tackles by a Gator and was consensus All-American. Receiver Cris Collinsworth was first-team All-American. The season features the famous "Run Lindsay Run" in the close loss to national champion Georgia.
The 1984 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. The campaign was Charley Pell's sixth and last as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team, as he was forced to resign three games into the season after the release of an NCAA report detailing numerous recruiting and other rules violations committed during his tenure at Florida. Offensive coordinator Galen Hall had been hired the previous summer and was not implicated in the scandal, so he was named interim head coach.
The 1985 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1985 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season was the second for Galen Hall as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team, having coached the 1984 Gators' final eight games as their interim coach. Because of NCAA probation terms handed down the previous year, Hall's 1985 Florida Gators were ineligible to win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) title, receive a bowl bid, or appear on live television.
The history of Florida Gators football began in 1906, when the newly established "University of the State of Florida" fielded a football team during its first full academic year of existence. The school's name was shortened to the University of Florida in 1908, and the football team gained the nickname "Gators" in 1911. The program started small, usually playing six to eight games per season against small colleges and local athletic club teams in north Florida and south Georgia. The Orange and Blue developed early rivalries with the Stetson Hatters from nearby Deland and Mercer Bears from Macon. During the 1910s, Florida began playing a wider range of opponents from more established football programs across the southeastern United States and faced off against several future rivals - such as Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and Auburn - for the first time.
