David Rosenberg, Gators WireSun, November 30, 2025 at 3:54 PM UTC·12 min readFlorida interim head coach Billy Gonzalez spoke to the media one final time after the Gators closed out the 2025 college football season with a 40-21 win over Florida State.
Gonzales showered his players, program, and even the media with praise as he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead a program he's been with for nearly a decade. He kept the focus on the players, noting how important it was to let the seniors leave Florida on a good note.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJadan Baugh's historic day — 38 carries, 266 yards — was an early point of focus. Gonzales said that the staff's goal was to get him at least 96 yards to hit the 1,000 mark. Baugh did that and then some. Gonzales also touched on what he believed to be an elite performance from the defense and a complementary day for quarterback DJ Lagway, calling it the most complete game of the season for Florida.
While many of the questions Gonzales faced were about the future of the program, the interim head coach harped on the current team and the players' effort to keep going. They never quit, on him or the university, and formed a strong brotherhood that will last a lifetime.
Here's everything Gonzales said after the win:
Opening statement
"I just want to start off, what an unbelievable day for these seniors. They're a special group. They did an unbelievable job. They continue to keep this team together. They continue to fight. They continue to push each other. The leadership they provided from within, nobody really understands that, but being in their shoes — getting a chance to see Sapp out there sitting on the 50-yard line, and just hanging out there. It's really special.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'm super, super proud of this team. Obviously, it didn't start the way we wanted to in the first couple of games. But I'll tell you what, the way we finished today, it was the first time in my opinion, we played a complete game, offense, defense, special teams-wise.
"I can't be more proud of these guys. I'm super proud of the staff, the support staff. What a way to fight, taking a look at Jadan Baugh, second in history with 266 yards rushing today. Was a workhorse. The offensive line did an incredible job giving him the opportunity to make those holes and continue to run.
"The defensive unit, they played lights out. They were unbelievable today. The big boys up front did an unbelievable job setting the point up front, getting some pressure. At one point, I looked out there, we had four true freshmen sitting in the back end.
"It takes everybody on a football team to be successful. Finally, we had that the last game of the season. I'm super proud of these guys. I can't tell you that enough. I love 'em. I'll open it up for questions at this time."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn importance of ending a bad year with a win
"Extremely important. It's extremely important to end this way for the players that have invested into this program. The seniors, it's extremely important. Obviously, you want to walk out of here and have a good taste in your mouth from your very last game on a Senior Day.
"I just told them it starts from this moment on. It's going to continue to build for them for whoever comes in for this program and leads this program. It's a stepping stone for them to understand that everything has to start at some point or another.
"From this point on, they got to continue to build on it. This team stayed together. I just talked to the team about staying together long-term, being focused together, and being able to be able to achieve and continue to grow together."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Jadan Baugh's performance
"This is — just think about that, 266 yards. I know I told the media this earlier, I told you guys if you were to ask me, is it important? I said yeah, but the victory is more important. Let's call it what it is. I told the staff he's getting a thousand yards regardless, somehow, some way.
"Two years ago, we sat in here, Ricky (Pearsall) was I think 35 yards short of a thousand yards at receiving. I know it eats at him. It eats at me every day to know it just didn't bounce the right way at that particular time. Looking back on it, being able to force-feed to try to get him those yards. Tonight, we were going to get Baugh a thousand yards. He surpassed it. He did an incredible job.
"I love him. I've told you before, I love him as a person, I love him as an athlete, I love him as a man. He's just an exceptional football player."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn continuing to feed Baugh after hitting the 1,000 mark
"No, we talked about being able to feed him in the offense. I think Coach (Ryan) O'Hara called a great game today. No, we talked about featuring him. In order for us to win, we had to run the ball. We had to put the ball behind the offensive line. We have some seniors up there, both captains in this game today. Give them the opportunity to grind at it a little bit.
"Again, put the ball in one of our best players, not the best player on the team, but one of the best players in the country. All-purpose yards, rushing yards, he's elite. It's fantastic to see the performance he had today."
On DJ Lagway's performance
"He did fantastic. The one decision that he made, he looked at it on film. The corner, they were playing five deep. He could have tossed it, but wanted to take the RPO shot. The DB did a good job. He broke, did a good job. He's a good football player as well. Made a great play.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"At the end of the day, I thought he played really, really good. I thought he managed it. I thought he did a fantastic job. The yards, obviously 168, but three TDs, did a really good job. He did a good job putting us in the right run plays. I don't know if you noticed, there were a lot of checked plays out there based on the defensive front, the rotation, what they were giving us in the back end, whether it was a two-high structure or a one-high structure.
"He did a phenomenal job putting us in the right play."
On bouncing back defensively
"Yeah, these players are competitors. Everybody wants to compete. Everybody wants to try to make a play. It was about making sure — we've said all along, Listen, just do your job. If you do your job — the issue is when you try to do a little bit more, try to make up something for somebody else, that's when something happens.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Super impressed, like I said. I think the defensive unit played lights out today. I told Caleb (Banks) earlier how impressed I am and what it meant to me as a coach. He's not my position. He plays defense, defensive line. Just how impressed I was that he fought back so much to come back off of a foot injury, to come back and play with his brothers for two last games, and what it meant for him to finish that way.
"Obviously, him and (Tyreak) Sapp out there leading it. Like I said, you have a young crew, from linebackers to the back end. What a great performance by those guys. They played outstanding all the way around.
"Again for me, it was kind of a complete performance. Everybody played great offense, defense and special teams. I think when you can do that, you can kind of see what the University of Florida football players, what the football team is capable of.
"Now, it will be up to somebody else to make sure that they continue that process. But the seed has been set. They can continue to grow. Those roots are in the ground. I look forward to watching them play in the future, as well."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn message to players regarding transfer portal
"I think that's not really a question for me. I'd love for every individual here to stay at the University of Florida. I've said this before. The University of Florida is special. To me, it's special. It holds a place close to my heart because I've spent a lot of time here. It's home.
"But no, each and every one of these individuals. I read a booklet to them that I had written down just in there a minute ago. Just talked about brotherhood. I talked about making sure, again, like I said, build on the right foundation, build brick by brick, step by step, then you build together. I think that's the big piece I'm trying to leave them with: build it together.
"If you build it together, you'll be successful."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn importance of beating Florida State
"It means everything for the players, for me. I've told you this before. I got into this profession 30-plus years ago for the players. I had a couple really good position coaches, Skip Holtz Jr. and Coach (Urban) Meyer that invested in me. Head coaches that invested in me. Coach (Sonny) Lubick, Coach (Earle) Bruce. To me, it's always been about investing back into the players, and it will always be that.
"It means everything in the world that we won. Is it for me? Absolutely. But no, to me it's more important that the players have a chance to get a victory because they're the ones that put so much time and effort into this place, blood, sweat and tears on the football field. Like I said, the brotherhood. That's something you can never understand until you leave the locker room, what it means to be in a locker room with your friends and brothers that you may not ever get that opportunity again.
"This team is done with. These players will hopefully continue to grow, stay in contact. Some of them will be in each other's weddings later on down the road. That's what you look forward to, for these players to continue to build that time."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn being the interim coach at Florida
"Well, that's something we could probably talk about another time. What a great opportunity. I mean, what a learning experience for me. Great opportunity. Again, I'll always go back to it's been about the players for me. If I can help them. My job was to try to keep this team together, continue to motivate them, continue to play hard.
"I think the effort that you saw out of those guys today, not to quit, not to fold, I think they did an unbelievable job of showing that support out there for one another."
On potentially staying at Florida
"Listen, I'm going to enjoy this win tonight. I'm going to go home — it's 8:30 p.m. — I might turn the hot tub on here real quick before I leave the facility and relax a little bit.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Again, I spent the majority of my career here. Special place. The University of Florida is special. I've said before that you play for the patch and you honor the name on your back for the players. It is a special place. I look forward to, again, the success of the program, regardless of whether I'm here or not. I want these players to experience the success that I've had here at the University of Florida, 'cause it's special."
Closing statement
"With this being my last opportunity to speak with you, I'd like to take a moment to thank (athletic director) Mr. Scott Stricklin for the opportunity to lead this program the last six weeks.
"I know we didn't get the results the way we wanted, the way we wanted to win, the way I wanted to win. But I appreciate the trust he had in me to do the job and lead the team. With a victory finishing it, it makes it even a little bit more special.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'd like to thank the players for sticking together and staying the course over the last few weeks. I've told you this before, to me it's always been about the players, it will always be about the players. That's why we're called coaches. It's about mentoring and being able to help them grow as individuals and help them to grow as men.
"I'd like to thank you all, the media, for your professionalism and generosity with me during my time leading the program. You guys have been unbelievable to me. I want to thank you. I think you asked a question about the learning part. To me, as a coach, I will always embrace the media. I will always embrace the fans. I think that's the special piece about having an opportunity to be a coach, to have that opportunity. I want to thank you guys, a ton.
"Finally, like I said, I'd like to thank the fans who supported this team despite the results this season. I've told you before, I believe they're the best fans in the country. They deserve a championship. They're going to have a championship. They will have a championship-caliber team here in the future, as well.
"Thank you guys, all again. I appreciate you guys. Go Gators."
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football Billy Gonzales post-game quotes vs. FSU
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