When the Florida Gators lost Brian Johnson to the NFL, panic ensued among the fanbase. Johnson quickly rose as one of the most talented young coaches in the country, and the Gators would be hard-pressed to find an upgrade to coach quarterbacks.
Out of the dark basement and into the light stepped Garrick McGee. That’s how he described it, anyway.
McGee joined Florida’s staff in 2020 as a defensive analyst, but he made a career of coaching up quarterbacks, including Heisman Trophy winner and NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
He also had a brief head coaching stint at UAB, but he found that solely focusing on quarterbacks instead of running an entire program was more his calling.
Though McGee spent a majority of his time focused on the defense last season, he had the chance to learn the offense and get to know Florida’s quarterbacks as well. When Dan Mullen announced his promotion, the Gators felt some continuity inside the program.
“Honestly, it didn’t really miss a beat,” said quarterback Emory Jones. “He’s been here. He knows the offense. He’s definitely helping all the guys out. He’s the type of guy that makes sure everybody in the room is developing and getting better. That’s what I like about him.”
McGee thinks that experiencing the ups and downs of Florida’s 2020 season firsthand gives him a better perspective than someone from the outside would have.
“There was no transition,” McGee said. “I was there at the Cotton Bowl. I was there at the SEC Championship, and I know what we felt like after the game in that locker room, and I know what we all committed to moving into this season, so the transition was simple for us.”
But a new coach isn’t the only change the quarterback room is undergoing this spring. With Heisman finalist Kyle Trask off to the NFL, the Gators have big shoes to fill.
2021 has the potential to be that dreaded rebuild year for Florida’s offense, but McGee said the national championship-caliber programs don’t experience that. And that is the hope for the Gators.
“We have to transition from one quarterback to another, and the teams that can stay on top and compete at a high level are the ones that can do it,” he said. “And that’s what we’re pressing for now. We’ve recruited well. We have two guys that are very talented kids, have arm talent, they can run, they understand the system, they have the trust and respect from their teammates. What we have to do is go from being Kyle’s backup to taking control of the team and getting the team to feed off our energy level and the way we go about out business.”
Earning that respect from teammates is the first thing McGee is stressing to Jones and Richardson this offseason.
Heading into his fourth season in Gainesville, Jones has already put the time in, but now he has to prove he is ready to step into the role he worked long and hard for.
“If you’re going to have a chance to be great, it starts with leadership,” McGee said. “Your team needs to say to themselves, ‘We have a chance of winning because we have this particular guy on our team.’ And you build throughout the offseason and spring ball and in the weight room.”
And then, for Richardson, he has to be ready to become that guy at any given moment. Jones paid his dues and should be the starter come fall, but the Gators are an injury or a lackluster performance away from handing the offense over to a freshman.
With the way Richardson has performed so far this spring, McGee wouldn’t be too concerned.
“The only thing good about this COVID is that Anthony ends up with another year, so he’s really a true freshman still,” he said. “And that’s, like wow, I can’t believe, when I watch him at practice, I’m thinking ‘This guy’s a true freshman,’ you know, it’s amazing.”
As for McGee’s role on the staff, he won’t take over that offensive coordinator title Johnson held. Mullen still ran the show even with Johnson in the box, but he is taking back full play calling reign.
“When you’re trying to win the national championship, the best person in the building to do a particular job should do that job,” McGee said. “I mean, like, I should not play quarterback because I’m not the best quarterback in the building. That’s Emory right now. Dan’s one of the best play-callers in college football. So, in my opinion, if we’re wanting to win a national championship, the best guy at calling plays in the building should call the plays.”
Though he has offensive coordinator experience, McGee wants to be able to put all of his energy into developing the quarterbacks. That will be key in this year of major transition for the Gators.