Florida Gators Officially Announce Hiring of Offensive Coordinator Buster Faulkner
The Florida Gators have formally confirmed Buster Faulkner as their new offensive coordinator.
Faulkner spent the last three seasons running Georgia Tech’s offense and was first reported as Florida’s top choice for the role last week.
“I’m thrilled to work under Jon Sumrall,” Faulkner said. “He’s a proven winner, and that’s what makes this opportunity so exciting. Florida is a place where championships are possible, and I’m eager to meet the players and get started.”
Faulkner has built a strong national reputation through his time at Georgia Tech (2023–25) and his earlier tenure at Georgia (2020–22) as an offensive quality control coach specializing in quarterbacks.
After contributing to two national championships at Georgia, he helped transform Georgia Tech into one of the ACC’s most productive offenses. Over his three seasons, the Yellow Jackets led the conference in rushing (197.8 yards per game), ranked second in total offense (437.7 yards), third in passing efficiency (144.1) and fifth in scoring (31.0 points per game).
His work earned him the 2025 FootballScoop Offensive Coordinator of the Year award.
“Buster is one of the most creative offensive minds in the sport, and I’m thrilled to bring him on board,” Sumrall said. “He’s consistently engineered high-scoring offenses and built systems around his players’ strengths. I have zero doubt he’ll have our offense putting up points.”
Faulkner’s hiring underscores Sumrall’s stated goal of installing an explosive, high-scoring system—something he emphasized during his Dec. 1 introductory press conference.
“I want the scoreboard to light up,” Sumrall said. “How you play depends on what it takes to win at each stop. Here, I believe we can score a lot of points, and that’s exactly what I want to do.”
Coaching Staff Updates Under Sumrall
Faulkner becomes the second confirmed member of Sumrall’s new staff, joining defensive coordinator Brad White.
Defensive line coach Gerald Chatman is expected to remain, while the Gators have also interviewed Penn State OL coach Phil Trautwein and former Auburn OC/RB coach Derrick Nix for offensive staff roles. Nix spent two days in Gainesville this week and was spotted dining with Sumrall, White, Faulkner, and other staff members.
Much of last year’s staff is either not being retained or is close to finalizing positions elsewhere. Some of the outgoing coaches include:
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Ron Roberts (defensive coordinator) and Deron Wilson (corners coach) → Arkansas
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Joe Houston (special teams coordinator) → LSU
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Robert Bala (linebackers coach) → James Madison (as defensive coordinator under former UF head coach Billy Napier)
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Jabbar Juluke (running backs coach) → a target for both Kentucky and Texas
Others not expected to return—but whose next roles haven’t been reported—include receivers coach Billy Gonzales and offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Jonathan Decoster.
Future plans have also not yet surfaced for QB coach Ryan O’Hara, edge coach Mike Peterson, safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri, OC/TE coach Russ Callaway, and strength coach Tyler Myles.
Sumrall recently reiterated that his staff will feature a blend of returning coaches, former colleagues, and entirely new hires.
“I don’t assemble a staff based on friendships,” he said. “I hire the best people possible to develop our players and compete for championships.”
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