Saturday night in Death Valley was a rough one for the Florida Gators. DJ Lagway was picked off a whopping five times by the LSU defense as the Tigers handed Florida a 20-10 loss in the SEC opener. Now, over three days since the game concluded, Florida has more unfortunate news to deal with.
Florida RB coach Jabbar Juluke suspended
The Southeastern Conference and University of Florida have jointly announced a three-game suspension of associate head coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke. The suspension comes as a result of Juluke's involvement in an altercation prior to Saturday night's contest between LSU and Florida at Tiger Stadium.
SEC suspends former LSU assistant and current Florida running backs coach Jabbar Juluke for his part in the pregame dust up.
— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) September 17, 2025
Sankey - "Coaches are expected to be leaders and to de-escalate tense situations, and that did not happen in this circumstance." pic.twitter.com/L0EpsL40de
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey issued a statement on the decision to suspend Juluke.
"Jabbar Juluke’s conduct during the pregame altercation reflects behavior that is unacceptable and not aligned with the standards of the Southeastern Conference. 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."Greg Sankey
Pregame video from ESPN/ABC shows Florida assistant coach Jabbar Juluke slapping LSU safety Joel Rogers before Saturday’s game.
— 104.5 ESPN (@1045espn) September 17, 2025
Juluke has been suspended three games by the school and SEC. pic.twitter.com/PTLqUUPP22
Juluke has since issued his own statement and apology.
“I, first, would like to apologize to both Florida and LSU universities, their teams, staff and fans. 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, a New Orleans native, was the running backs coach at LSU in 2016. While in Baton Rouge, he tutored one of the nations top running backs in Leonard Fournette, who was selected with the 5th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Prior to that, he spent nine years as the head coach at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans. During that span, Juluke was regarded as one of the top high school coaches in Louisiana. He compiled an overall record of 80-39 at Edna Karr, which culminated in a perfect 14-0 record and Class 4A state title in 2012.