CHOMPING On: Effect of Billy Gonzales’ departure

Covering the Florida Gators as close as I do every day, I often find the need to vent regarding some of the coverage, news, opinions and general sentiments surrounding the program. In those instances, OGGOA presents CHOMPING On:

You are the wide receivers coach at one of the best programs in college football. You are a respected recruiter. You have known the head coach for almost two decades and have coached under him for the last eight seasons. You are passed over for an offensive coordinator position by said coach who, instead, gave it to an offensive line coach even though you were a successful red zone playcaller the previous season. Your name is Billy Gonzales, and you have just left the Florida Gators and head coach Urban Meyer to become the “passing game coordinator” for the LSU Tigers.

Was Gonzales’ departure really that surprising? Is it truly a big deal in the long-run? The answer to both of these questions is “No,” and I am here to tell you exactly why.

When former OC and quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen left after the 2008 season to take the head coaching job with the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Meyer chose OL coach Steve Addazio to replace him rather than Gonzales, though the latter was expected by many to be the next guy in line. Aside from that decision surely not sitting well with Gonzales, it showed Meyer’s lack of confidence in him to perform in that capacity – otherwise, why would he not have given him that opportunity?

It is important to remember that Meyer knows Gonzales well; their relationship goes back to when Meyer was his coach with the Colorado State Rams in the early 1990s. Meyer did not flip a coin and chose Addazio, he made a calculated decision. And now that Gonzales has told Meyer he is leaving (which is the assumed story going around, though perhaps Meyer asked him to seek other employment?), the two-time National Championship-winning coach (reportedly) already has a replacement in mind in Central Michigan Chippewas WR coach Zach Azzanni.

As far as recruiting goes, yes, Gonzales was the team’s recruiting coordinator. Some recruits may be impacted by his decision – such as four-star wide receiver Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA) who told Rivals he must reconsider his options. But for the most part, Gonzales’ departure will not have any major impact on what has the potential to be the Gators’ best top-to-bottom recruiting class ever.

Gators fans should be happy that their program’s coordinators and assistant coaches are sought after by other universities. That means the team is successful, the recruiting is top-notch and the men in charge (Meyer and athletic director Jeremy Foley) are good decision makers and superb evaluators of coaching talent. Losing Gonzales and former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong do not indicate that Florida’s program is crumbling or that coaches are “jumping ship.” These incidents are representative of the immense notoriety that comes with success and winning.

Meyer, who has won and thrived in every stop throughout his career, has lost coaches before, moved on and remained prosperous. There is no doubt that he will fill the vacancies and do so with talented coaches who have great football minds. New assistants and coordinators will join the staff, and the Gators will move on without Gonzales in the same way it survived and was exceedingly successful before he arrived.