BREAKING: Billy Gonzales returning to Florida as receivers coach

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Former Gators assistant Billy Gonzales is returning to Florida once again. UF coach Billy Napier has filled his final staff opening, wide receivers coach, with Gonzales, Gators Online has learned.

Gonzales has coached at Florida twice previously both in the same role he will fill for Napier. Gonzales was part of Urban Meyer’s staff at Florida from 2005-2009. He won two National Championships while at Florida during that time. Gonzales was also the recruiting coordinator from 2008-2009.

Gonzales left Florida and joined LSU in 2010-11 as the passing game coordinator and receivers coach. He was the Co-OC and receivers coach at Illinois for a season before joining Dan Mullen at Mississippi State. Gonzales coaches the Bulldogs’ receivers from 2013-2017 before moving back to Florida as part of Mullen’s first staff at Florida. 

After Mullen was fired, Gonzales spent the 2022 season with the Florida Atlantic Owls. He joined Marshall as tight ends coach in February.

In 2020, despite losing three receivers to the NFL Draft, the Gators’ receivers continued to shine under Gonzales. Florida receivers combined to catch 189 passes for 2,716 yards and 28 touchdowns. Kadarius Toney proved to be one of the elite weapons in college football in 2020 and was selected as the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Toney finished fifth in the SEC and 28th among all FBS players in all-purpose yards per game (130.8), in addition to being one of 25 FBS players and one of six SEC players with 12-plus total touchdowns (10 receiving, one rushing, one punt return).

Billy Gonzales replaces Keary Colbert

Gonzales takes over for the assistant who replaced him after the staff changes in 2021. After one season at UF, Keary Colbert was hired as the Denver Broncos receivers coach last month. Colbert, 40, makes the jump to the pros after a decade of coaching in the college game.

Colbert reunited with Florida coach Billy Napier in Gainesville after spending two years with him at Alabama, where he served as an offensive analyst on Nick Saban’s staff and worked directly under Napier, who was the receivers coach.

“Obviously, it’s a bittersweet feeling because I’m excited about this move, but it was really hard for me to leave Gainesville and what we are building,” Colbert told Gators Online in an exclusive interview. “I was only there for one year, but I already felt entrenched in Gator Nation and just being part of the Florida Football family. It’s a special place with special people, and I really loved what we started there. I know we didn’t have the season we wanted, but we kind of set the foundation for the future and I think it’s going to be bright for this program.”

Full List of Players Drafted Coached by Gonzales (as WR / OC)

WR Kadarius Toney (1st) – Florida ’21 – New York Giants
WR Van Jefferson (2nd) – Florida ’20 – Los Angeles Rams
RB Lamical Perine (4th) – Florida ’20 – New York Jets
WR Freddie Swain (6th – Florida ’20 – Seattle Seahawks
WR Tyrie Cleveland (7th) – Florida ‘ 20 – Denver Broncos
OT Jawaan Taylor (2nd) – Florida ‘ 19 – Jacksonville Jaguars
C Elgton Jenkins (2nd) – Mississippi State ’19 – Green Bay Packers
RB Jordan Scarlett (5th) – Florida ’19 – Carolina Panthers
OT Martinas Rankin (3rd) – Mississippi State ’18 – Houston Texans
TE Jordan Thomas (6th) – Mississippi State ’18 – Houston Texans
OT Justin Senior (6th) – Mississippi State ’17 – Seattle Seahawks
QB Dak Prescott (4th) – Mississippi State ’16 – Dallas Cowboys
TE Malcolm Johnson (6th) – Mississippi State ’15 – Cleveland Browns
RB Josh Robinson (6th) – Mississippi State ’15 – Indianapolis Colts
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (1st) – LSU ’14 – New York Giants
WR Jarvis Landry (2nd) – LSU ’14 – Miami Dolphins
WR James Wright (7th) – LSU ’14 – Cincinnati Bengals
OG Hugh Thornton (3rd) – Illinois ’13 – Indianapolis Colts
WR Reuben Randle (2nd) – LSU ’12 – New York Giants
WR Riley Cooper (5th) – Florida ’10 – Philadelphia Eagles
WR Percy Harvin (1st) – Florida ’09 – Minnesota Vikings
WR Louis Murphy (4th) – Florida ’09 – Oakland Raiders
WR Andre Caldwell (3rd) – Florida ’08 – Cincinnati Bengals
WR Dallas Baker (7th) – Florida 07 – Pittsburgh Steelers
WR Chad Jackson (2nd) – Florida ’06 – New England Patriots
WR Paris Warren (7th) – Utah ’05 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WR Eugene Baker (5th) – Kent State