The Gators are hiring Steve Spurrier Jr. To help struggling QB DJ Lagway
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators are turning to Steve Spurrier to help fix the team’s struggling offense.
Steve Spurrier Jr., anyway.
The younger Spurrier, who was hired as an offensive analyst earlier this year, will be more involved with quarterback DJ Lagoway when the Gators (3-4, 2-2 SEC) play No. 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) in Jacksonville on Nov. 1, interim coach Billy Gonzalez said Wednesday.
Gonzalez will have tight ends coach/coordinator Ross Callaway organizing the offense along with linebackers coach Ryan O’Hara in the booth. O’Hara will be on the headset calling plays to Lagway.
Meanwhile, Spurrier will be on the sideline and working directly with the second-year quarterback.
“What we’re trying to do now is adjust some things so we can put our players in a better position to go out and play the game and perform at a higher level,” said Gonzalez, who was named interim after Billy Napier was fired on Sunday. “We all realize this is what we have to do. So that’s the No. 1 goal for us as a coaching staff right now.”
Napier was fired, in large part, because he failed to get Florida’s offense on the right track during his four seasons. The Gators have totaled 50 points in losses to South Florida, LSU, Miami and Texas A&M this fall, and are 15th in the league in scoring.
Facing the Bulldogs without Napier could show how much of a hindrance he was to an offense that believed it had enough talent to compete in the SEC. Gonzalez has made it clear he wants to open things up more and get the ball up the field for receivers.
Spurrier is part of the plan. Spurrier, the 54-year-old son of a Hall of Fame player and coach and a living legend in Gainesville, spent the past two years in Tulsa. He also worked at Mississippi State (2020-22), Washington State (2018-19), Western Kentucky (2017) and Oklahoma (2016). Before that, he spent a decade working under his famous father at South Carolina (2005-15).
“When you’re around one of the greatest offensive minds in history, obviously that affects you as well,” Gonzalez said. “He was involved, but now he’s going to have a bigger role because he’ll be there on the field with the quarterback looking him in the eye and getting a chance to talk to him and review the film that’s being taken.
“This will put us in a great position to help DJ and quarterbacks perform on the football field.”
Lagoway has thrown for 1,513 yards, with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions, this season while playing behind a shaky offensive line. He’s looked better lately as he nears a full recovery from a derailed stretch that included core muscle surgery, nagging shoulder pain, and a pulled calf muscle.
“It’s been a long journey, and I’m grateful for the good and the bad,” Laguay said. “God doesn’t make any mistakes. I’m just excited to see where my journey goes and how I can continue to improve.”