JC Deacon commemorated at Spurrier's Gridiron Grille for 2023 National Championship
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators head golf coach JC Deacon etched his name into Gators lore last summer when he won the University of Florida’s 47th National Championship in orange and blue. On Tuesday, Spurrier’s Gridiron Grille commemorated Deacon and the National Championship inside their restaurant in The Championship Room.
Coach JC Deacon’s Men’s Golf team won the program’s first team and individual Golf National Championship since 2001 in thrilling fashion. Now he joins the exclusive club of Florida coaches who have portraits adorning the walls of the Championship Room in Visor’s Rooftop at Spurrier’s. The portraits are all painted by former Gators football national champion and revered local artist James “Batesy” Bates. Deacon’s portrait was unveiled in a small ceremony on Wednesday at Spurrier’s.
“What an incredible honor to be on this wall, with Coach Spurrier and so many friends and mentors that I’ve looked up to,” Deacon said as his portrait was unveiled with all of the other Florida coaches who have won National Championships. “I certainly wouldn’t have this picture up on the wall without everything I’ve learned from them. It’s an incredible honor to be up on this wall and I’m very proud to be a Florida Gators. A huge thanks to all of our players. A coach is only as good as his players. Those guys made us look really good. I’m very, very proud.”
Gators team notes
- Florida won its fifth men’s golf National Championship in program history
- First since 2001
- The Gators are tied for 7th in most national team championships with LSU
- First time in program history Florida won the SEC Championship, NCAA Championship, and NCAA Individual Title in the same year
- UF is one of eight schools to win five or more national titles
- Only one of two SEC Schools with LSU, who has also won six titles
- It marks the fourth time in program history Florida won both the SEC and NCAA Championship in the same season
- This is the second time the Gators have won the team championship and individual title in the same since 2001
- Fred Biondi won the 2023 NCAA Championship Individual Title
- Nick Gilliam was the 2021 NCAA Individual Champion
- The victory marked UF’s six-team win this season, the most since seven in 2003-04 when Florida won seven
- This is the sixth time the Gators have won six events in a single season
Fred Biondi wins individual National Championship
- Third Gator to win medalist honors at the NCAAs
- Others include Bob Murphy (1966) and Nick Gilliam (2001)
- First South American-born player to win the NCAA Individual Title
- First International player since Thomas Pieters (Illinois) of Belgium in 2012
- The first player to shoot under par in all four rounds at the last three National Championships at Grayhawk GC.
- The -7 is the first Gator under par at the NCAAs since Tyler McCumber’s 2-under in 2012
Collegiate Match Play Records Postseason (SECs + NCAAs) – Heading into Today
