Florida assistant Jabbar Juluke suspended after pregame altercation vs. LSU

Florida associate head coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been suspended by the SEC and UF for his role in a pregame altercation prior to last week’s game against LSU, the two sides announced. He will miss three games as a result.

Prior to kickoff of last week’s game, the two teams got into a heated exchange, leading to a flag thrown pregame for unsportsmanlike conduct. However, the officials later said there would be no foul, according to a UF spokesperson.

In the aftermath, Juluke is set to serve a three-game suspension. That means he will miss Florida’s games against Miami, Texas and 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,” said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey 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.”

Juluke also released a statement on the situation. He apologized to both UF and LSU, as well as the staffs and fans, while saying he plans to use to use the altercation as a “teachable moment.”

“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 has been on Florida’s staff since 2022 after previously working with Billy Napier at Louisiana. He previously worked at the high school level until 2013 when Louisiana Tech brought him aboard as running backs coach before stints at LSU and Texas Tech.