New Florida interim coach Billy Gonzales is the Gators' third interim head coach since 2017. Alan Youngblood / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Revisiting Florida's Past Interim Head Coaches as Gonzales Takes Over Gators

Originally posted on Florida Gators on SI
By Kyle Lander | Last updated Oct 29, 2025 3:00 PM ET

When Billy Gonzales takes the field on Saturday against the Georgia Bulldogs, it will mark the third time since 2017 that the Florida Gators have turned to an interim head coach.

Before Gonzales, it was then-running backs coach Greg Knox in 2021. Before him, it was then-defensive coordinator Randy Shannon in 2017. Neither of the two had any real success in their brief periods as the head coach, though.

Knox coached two games in 2021 after Florida dismissed Dan Mullen following a 24-23 overtime loss to the Missouri Tigers. He finished with a 1-1 record as the interim.

His one win came against Florida State, in which he narrowly defeated the Seminoles, 24-21.

In that win over the program's biggest rival, the Gators scored 17 unanswered points coming out of halftime to help spur them to a victory in the final week of the regular season.

A helping hand in this was the two turnovers from the Seminoles. A fumble on a punt return led to a five-yard touchdown for Justin Shorter that put them up, 17-7. Then, an interception near the end of the third resulted in a three-yard touchdown for Dameion Pierce just minutes later to give them a 24-7 fourth-quarter lead.

By the final whistle, though, it was a much closer game, with Florida edging out Florida State 24-21.

Unfortunately for Knox, he trailed that win with a disappointing 29-17 defeat at the hands of the UCF Knights in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.

In Shannon’s case, he began his tenure as the interim with more time than Knox. Florida fired Jim McElwain after getting thumped by the Bulldogs, 42-7, at the end of October. This decision from the Gators put Shannon in charge for four games in the 2017 season.

He faced Missouri, South Carolina, UAB and Florida State during this stretch, coming out with only a victory over UAB. In those three losses to their SEC opponents, the Gators were outscored 111 to 58.

So, Gonzales does not have much to compete with compared to the previous coaches who took over for the Gators midseason.

However, he will have more games coached than either Knox or Shannon. With Napier leaving after seven games, Gonzalez has five contests left in 2025 to prove this team is better than its record.

It all starts with the Bulldogs on Saturday in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. In addition to Georgia, Gonzalez will also face Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida State to round out the campaign.

This article first appeared on Florida Gators on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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