Breaking: Gators appoint new coach heading into year three of head coach Billy Napier’s tenure

The Florida Gators are expected to appoint New York Giants strength and conditioning coach Craig Fitzgerald to spearhead the strength and conditioning department heading into year three of head coach Billy Napier’s tenure, Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner reported on Sunday. Gators head coach Billy Napier announced former director of strength and conditioning Mark Hocke’s reassignment following the 2023-24 campaign on Wednesday. Napier also shared that he and other University of Florida brass were deep in the vetting process for potential candidates to replace Hocke. Unofficially, Fitzgerald, ex-Notre Dame head strength coach Matt Balis and Alabama Director of Applied Science Paul Constantine were rumored to have interviewed for the position in the days leading up to Early National Signing Day.

Florida ultimately elected to appoint Fitzgerald as the new leader in the area, plucking him away from East Rutherford, N.J., as the unit did to acquire offensive line coach Rob Sale and former defensive line coach Sean Spencer during Napier’s time in charge in Gainesville.

Fitzgerald’s resume in strength and conditioning departments at the collegiate and professional levels spans over 25 years.

The new staffer under Napier earned his laurels from 2000-2009 with a successful stint at his alma mater Maryland (2000-2005) before continuing his upward rise in the industry at Harvard (2005-2009). It resulted in his unification with Florida great Steve Spurrier at South Carolina from 2009-2011, earning high praise from the head ball coach.

“I feel very good about turning our strength and conditioning program over to Craig,” Spurrier said of Fitzgerald in 2009. “I was really impressed with him and how he motivates the players.”

He aided the Gamecocks in reaching unforeseen heights in program history, winning 11 games — the most in program history — and finishing in the AP Top 10 for the first time ever in 2011.

Fitzgerald departed for Happy Valley in 2012, climbing the ladder to serve on Bill O’Brien’s staff for two seasons. He trailed O’Brien to the professional ranks when the head coach took over at the helm of the Houston Texans franchise, spending three seasons in the Lone Star State prior to moving back to the collegiate level when he was appointed Director of Sports Performance at Tennessee in 2018 and 2019.

Fitzgerald moved back to the NFL in 2020, becoming the head strength and conditioning coach with the Giants under then-head coach Joe Judge. He was retained by Brian Daboll ahead of the 2022 season and helped New York realize a quick resurgence to earn a playoff berth and win in the Wild Card matchup over Minnesota in Daboll’s inaugural campaign.

Accordingly, Fitzgerald provides the Gators with a well-versed leader for the strength and conditioning program. Player development in that area — namely along the frontlines on each side of the football — will be a paramount focus heading into the critical 2023 campaign.

You can find Fitzgerald’s previous coaching stops below.

1997-99 Catholic University – Director of Strength and Conditioning

1999 Arizona State University – Graduate assistant Strength and Conditioning

2000-05 University of Maryland – Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning

2005-09 Harvard University – Director of Strength and Conditioning

2009-11 University of South Carolina – Director of Strength and Conditioning

2012-13 Penn State University – Director of Strength and Conditioning

2014-17 Houston Texans – Strength and Conditioning

2018-19 University of Tennessee – Director of Football Sports Performance

2020-2023 New York Giants – Head Strength and Conditioning Coach