The Florida Gators have hired Jacksonville State defensive coordinator Vinnie Sunseri to their coaching staff, Gator Country confirmed on Saturday. Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports is reporting that Sunseri will join the staff as co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach.
Sunseri became Jacksonville State’s defensive coordinator after serving as Washington’s safeties coach in 2024 under UF grad and former Gators graduate assistant Jedd Fisch. Under Sunseri’s guidance, the Huskies ranked fifth nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 166.8 and were eighth in pass efficiency defense at 110.51.
Prior to Washington, Sunseri spent four seasons on staff with the New England Patriots starting as a defensive assistant in 2020 before coaching the running backs for the next three seasons. Sunseri kicked off his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2019.
Sunseri was a safety at Alabama, winning national championships during the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Florida head coach Billy Napier was on Alabama’s staff in 2011 and 2013 when Sunseri was on the roster. Sunseri would go to be drafted in the 5th round by the New Orleans Saints in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Sunseri had short stints with the Saints, Patriots, and 49ers before leaving the NFL in 2017.
Sunseri, at age 33, is the son of former Gators defensive line coach Sal Sunseri, who served on Dan Mullen’s staff in 2018. His father is a longtime coach of nearly 40 years, having experience in the NFL and the SEC.
The coaching addition comes after Austin Armstrong took a defensive coordinator job at Houston earlier in the offseason. As of now, all of Florida’s coaching spots are filled ahead of the 2025 season.