![Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) runs during the second half of the Orange and Blue game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 11, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_348,w_1923,h_1081/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ReutersImages/mmsport/213/01ky5ed7r4e2jt802vr2.jpg "Florida running back Jadan Baugh (13) runs during the second half of the Orange and Blue game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 11, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
Towards the end of the Billy Napier Era, there was a ton of speculation as to what was and wasn’t happening in terms of the coaching staff. For as many staff members as Napier had, it wasn’t actually clear whether or not certain members were doing anything useful.
And so while there are always going to be some fallout anytime there is a coaching change, Jadan Baugh painted a picture at SEC Media Days that Florida’s new coaching staff is night and day compared to the past four years.
Jadan Baugh’s description of Florida’s new staff should excite Gator fans
Baugh was asked about the differences between the new and previous coaching staffs at Florida. Baugh could have taken a diplomatic answer, but if one is to read between the lines, it comes across that Napier’s staff were borderline lifeless:
“I can say for a fact that the coaching staff now, we have a lot more guys into to certain areas as we have OC, we have a defensive coordinator. You have the guys who stand around and help, you know?
They all coach us like it's the last day. And with that, I feel like that makes us better each and every day and they push us 24/7.
Like Coach Buster (Faulkner), he always tells me, high and tight, high and tight. He's screaming, you're going to hear him as soon as you walk in the building and as soon as you walk out.”
The thing is, this isn’t just Baugh saying things to say things. During spring practice, most insiders who were in attendance made similar observations. And even if one wants to take those reports with a grain of salt, how many times did the camera pan to Napier in-game, and he had the look of someone trying to remember whether he left the lights on in his car?
And if his lights in his car were on, at least they were on somewhere.
Yelling and screaming doesn’t automatically make one a great coach, but this is football at the end of the day. There has to be a baseline level of energy coming from the coach and a sense that everyone on the field wearing a coaching shirt actually has a role rather than being a busybody collecting a paycheck.
As we have highlighted throughout the offseason, Jadan Baugh's decision to return to Florida rather than transfer underscores his buy-in with Sumrall. As much as Baugh has talked about his love for Florida and The Swamp, he had to choose to believe in Sumrall as well.
And if Baugh’s description of Sumrall and the rest of his staff is accurate, Florida is going to look 100% different in 2026 compared to previous years.
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