Florida Gator Legend Earns Bigger Role on Coaching Staff

Florida Gator Legend Earns Bigger Role on Coaching Staff originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Florida Gators football program has a storied history. Winners of eight SEC titles and three national championships in the 120 years of Florida football, the Gators have long been one of the premier programs in the country.

However, many Florida fans would agree the best era of the Gators on the gridiron was when the team won two BCS National Championships in a three-year span. The Urban Meyer-led Florida team from 2006-2009 captured SEC and national titles in 2006 and 2008 with the help of Tim Tebow at quarterback in a star-studded roster.

While Tebow led the offense, the Gators' defensive leader was linebacker Brandon Spikes. Since his playing days ended, Spikes came back to his alma mater to join the coaching staff, and now has a bigger role under head coach Billy Napier.

Spikes returned to Gainesville in 2023 to complete his degree in anthropology and joined the coaching staff as a student assistant coach. Now, Spikes has earned a promotion on the staff to the role of assistant director of player development, according to the Florida Gators website.

During his four years on Florida's title-winning defense, Spikes played in 47 games at linebacker, totaling 307 tackles, 31.5 tackles-for-loss, 6.5 sacks and six interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns. His illustrious Gators career was rewarded with two consensus All-American selections.

Not only did Spikes fill up the stat sheet as a player, but he was also a vocal leader on the field and in the locker room. He has brought that mentality and championship pedigree to a Gators coaching staff that is hoping to bring the glory days back to Gainesville.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.