The Gators and Southeastern Conference jointly decided to give Florida associate head coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke a three-game suspension following his involvement in a pregame altercation against No. 3 Louisiana State on Saturday.
“Jabbar Juluke's conduct during the pregame altercation reflects behavior that is unacceptable and not aligned with the standards of the Southeastern Conference," said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. "Coaches are expected to be leaders and to de-escalate tense situations, and that did not happen in this circumstance. This suspension is appropriate, and any future misconduct by Jabbar Juluke will result in more severe disciplinary action."
Before the game began, the Gators and Tigers entered two separate pregame scuffles where dozens of players on each team were seen shoving one another. The first altercation occurred nearly 75 minutes before the game started.
It is unclear what Juluke’s involvement was during the scuffle or how either altercation began. However, the running backs coach statement hints that he acted inappropriately when confronting an LSU player.
“On Saturday, I reacted in a manner I'm not proud of,” he wrote in his statement. “There's no excuse for my behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions. In this game, emotional situations occur and bad reactions happen. I regret my reaction and commit to using this moment to strengthen my emotional intelligence.”
“I know more is expected of us as coaches, and I commit to living up to that expectation. I believe growth is in ownership and learning from the good and the bad. I intend to use this situation as a teachable moment, not only for myself, but for those I impact. Again, I offer my sincerest apologies to both institutions and the staffs and families involved."
Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin and head coach Billy Napier also weighed in on the matter.
“Coach Juluke's actions prior to our game against LSU are not up to the standard of our program,” Napier said. “Coach Juluke is a man of character and has taken full responsibility for his actions. I believe Coach Juluke will learn from this experience and be better for it."
Stricklin added that he was proud of the reflection of Juluke following the event.
“Jabbar has consistently been an upstanding member of our staff, and I commend him for accepting responsibility in this situation,” he said. “We will continue to support him as he works to meet the high standards we set for our program."
Juluke was hired by Florida in 2022 and has worked alongside Napier since 2018 when the pair was at Louisiana. The running backs coach has played an integral part in Florida’s offense.
During his first year leading Florida’s running backs room, the Gators finished the regular season as the third-most productive rushing offense in the nation and best in the conference in yards per carry (5.84). Florida ran the ball for an average of 213.7 yards per game in 2022, which ranked 16th in the FBS and third in the SEC.
Last season, Juluke was one of 65 FBS coaches nominated for the 2024 Broyles Award, recognizing college football's top assistant coach.
His suspension sets his return date on Oct. 18, when the Gators host Mississippi State at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Juluke will miss games against No. 4 Miami on Saturday, No. 8 Texas on Oct. 4 and No. 10 Texas A&M on Oct. 11.
This is a developing story and will update soon.
Contact Luke Adragna at ladragna@alligator.org. Follow him on X @lukeadrag.
Luke is The Alligator's Sports Editor and is a senior sports journalism student. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his cat named Pete and going down a rabbit hole of niche professional athletes (shoutout Charles Sims).
