Florida associate head coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been suspended three games for his involvement in an altercation prior to the Gators’ 20-10 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge on Saturday. The SEC and Florida jointly announced Juluke’s suspension on Tuesday. Juluke will miss Florida’s games against No. 4 Miami, No. 8 Texas and No. 10 Texas A&M.
“Jabbar Juluke’s conduct during the pregame altercation reflects behavior that is unacceptable and not aligned with the standards of the Southeastern Conference,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “Coaches are expected to be leaders and to de-escalate tense situations, and that did not happen in this circumstance. This suspension is appropriate, and any future misconduct by Jabbar Juluke will result in more severe disciplinary action.”
Things got chippy between LSU and Florida during pregame warmups on Saturday with multiple scuffles taking place on the field. Juluke issued an apology, saying he reacted “in a manner I’m not proud of.” It’s unclear what exactly happened to result in Juluke’s suspension, but his apology mentioned “behavior” toward a “young athlete,” presumably on the LSU side.
“I, first, would like to apologize to both Florida and LSU universities, their teams, staff and fans,” Juluke said. “I also sincerely apologize to the young athlete and his family. On Saturday, I reacted in a manner I’m not proud of. There’s no excuse for my behavior and I take full responsibility for my actions. In this game, emotional situations occur and bad reactions happen. I regret my reaction and commit to using this moment to strengthen my emotional intelligence. I know more is expected of us as coaches, and I commit to living up to that expectation. I believe growth is in ownership and learning from the good and the bad. I intend to use this situation as a teachable moment, not only for myself, but for those I impact. Again, I offer my sincerest apologies to both institutions and the staffs and families involved.”
Juluke is in his fourth season at Florida after following coach Billy Napier to Gainesville from Louisiana. He previously had stints as the running backs coach at Louisiana Tech, LSU and Texas Tech before joining Napier’s staff in Lafayette ahead of the 2018 season.
“Coach Juluke’s actions prior to our game against LSU are not up to the standard of our program,” Napier said in a statement. “Coach Juluke is a man of character and has taken full responsibility for his actions. I believe Coach Juluke will learn from this experience and be better for it.”
Steve Spurrier critiques Gators QB DJ Lagway after loss to No. 3 LSU, 1-2 start for Billy Napier
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The Gators are off to a 1-2 start, putting Napier’s job status in question once again. Napier is just 20-21 (10-15 SEC) during his time in Gainesville. A very difficult slate of games is ahead, continuing with Saturday’s in-state showdown with the fourth-ranked Hurricanes and then meetings with two highly ranked SEC teams — No. 8 Texas in Gainesville on Oct. 4 and No. 10 Texas A&M on the road on Oct. 11.
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