For Florida interim head football coach Billy Gonzales, his goal hasn’t changed: he wants the Gators to play motivated, energetic and winning football.
One other area that hasn’t shifted since his promotion on Oct. 19 is his routine. He still texts himself notes on his phone every day. He still takes his hourlong walks around campus, starting from the Heavener Football Training Center, circling around Lake Alice, and returning back to the football facility. His sleep schedule remains mostly intact, aside from a handful of mornings when he wakes up thinking about a game plan.
So while his title might have changed, it's business as usual for Gonzales as he approaches his head coaching debut.
“I've said it before, it's an honor,” Gonzales said. “I'm very humbled to have the opportunity to do it.”
Gonzales and the Gators have had two weeks to prepare for their rivalry matchup against the Bulldogs, which has allowed the coach to effectively prepare for his first time calling the shots.
The longtime UF wide receivers coach stressed the importance of putting his players in the “best possible position” during every play and every game, something he says he learned from former Gators head coach Urban Meyer.
He said that Meyer consistently spoke about how position coaches are head coaches in their own right, a concept that Gonzales has carried with him since.
“If you take that mentality, you’ve been a head coach… because you’ve been coaching a unit,” Gonzales said. “Being a head coach just means you’ve expanded your numbers.”
Another area of emphasis that Gonzales enforced Wednesday was discipline, something he knows all about.
Gonzales previously struggled with his weight, but he has undergone a transformation in recent years, which he attributed to his aforementioned consistent walking routine. Despite his status as “head ball coach” for the rest of the season, Gonzales has continued his treks along campus without any new distractions.
“Nobody knows who I am,” Gonzales joked. “That hasn’t changed. They didn’t know me then, and they don’t know me now.”
Gonzales’ quick wit and competitive spirit have been an instant hit in the UF locker room, which is no surprise to the wide receivers he has coached over the years.
While his former position group no longer has its meetings presided over by Gonzales, his veterans within the room have nothing but confidence in him to steer the ship for the remainder of the season.
“We all love Billy G, and we all respect him and trust him,” senior wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant said. “He’s a big energy guy, so seeing that energy touch the whole team… it’s just a great experience.”
Despite the changes and the added pressure on his plate, Gonzales’ goal remains firm: he wants his team playing for themselves, the Gator brand and the Gator fans.
“You're gonna hear me say it over and over, but I think it's an honor to teach these young men to play for the patch,” Gonzales said. “To me, that means everything.”
Gonzales’ Gators will “play for the patch”, and for the first time under his guidance, on Nov. 1 against No. 5 Georgia in Jacksonville.
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and also loves niche professional athletes (shoutout Tomas Fleischmann).
