Florida’s defensive line coach Gerald Chatman has been retained by Jon Sumrall, multiple sources tell Gator Country.
The 2026 campaign will mark Chatman’s third season in Gainesville after being hired in December, 2023. Before joining Florida, Chatman served as Tulane’s defensive line coach in 2023, the year before Sumrall took the head coaching job with the Green Wave. Prior to the 2025 season, Chatman interviewed with the Chicago Bears of the NFL before ultimately returning to Florida.
Chatman has injected a surge of youthful energy into Florida’s defensive line room. At age 36, he runs practices with relentless intensity, pushing his players for discipline and all-out effort on every rep. His attention to detail is what truly sets him apart.
“It’s just who I am. I think when I got into coaching I understood right away that attention to detail is important. Coaching defensive line is a huge demand,” Chatman said of his coaching style. “It’s very demanding what they do. I coach them the way I want them to play – intense, with detail, discipline, relentless mentality, effort, urgency. So if I expect them to play that way, then I have to coach them that way. I have to be detailed with our progression and drills and technique and fundamentals.”
Chatman wasn’t dealt the strongest hand in 2025 after Florida lost star defender Caleb Banks to injury. Still, the Gators’ defensive line got meaningful production from a group defined by youth and inexperience.
In 2024, Chatman’s interior defensive line fueled a late-season push led by Cam Jackson and Caleb Banks. Jackson has since moved on to the NFL with the Carolina Panthers and Banks is soon to follow.
The Gator defense improved in nearly every statistical category when Chatman arrived in 2024, including sacks (+17), tackles for loss (+28), forced fumbles (+11), and turnovers gained (+18).
Florida has now hired offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, defensive coordinator Brad White, and retained defensive line coach Gerald Chatman.