New Florida Football Performance Director Craig Fitzgerald Leaves for BC

After roughly one month in charge of Florida’s strength and conditioning department, Craig Fitzgerald is leaving Florida for Boston College.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Recently-hired Florida director of football performance, Craig Fitzgerald, is leaving the program to lead the strength and conditioning staff at Boston College, All Gators can confirm. 

Nick de la Torre of On3 Sports first reported Fitzgerald’s departure from the Gators. 

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce my decision to leave the University of Florida Football program. “After much thought, I have decided to join my decade-long coaching friend Bill O’Brien at Boston College,” Fitzgerald said via On3 Sports.  

“Bill and I have worked together for almost 10 years. Although it excites me to rejoin him, it pains me to leave a program with such a bright future made up of hard-working, committed, and fine young men and staff. The culture of competitiveness, professionalism, and dedication inside this building was evident in my short time here. I am grateful to Coach Napier for this opportunity and I wish the Gators the best moving forward.”

Florida hired Fitzgerald in Dec. 2023, after head coach Billy Napier reassigned previous Gators strength and conditioning director Mark Hocke to a player development role. 

Prior to joining the Gators, Fitzgerald spent three seasons in charge of strength and conditioning for the New York Giants. Before that, he operated in similar roles with the Houston Texans and in the college ranks at Tennessee, Penn State, South Carolina, Harvard and Maryland.

He worked alongside O’Brien with the Texans and Nittany Lions. 

Napier commented on Fitzgerald’s departure in a statement released to reporters Sunday night. 

“I want to thank Fitz for doing a great job during the five weeks he’s been at Florida. He’s a very professional and well-respected individual and has been a great resource for our players and our organization,” Napier wrote. 

“We understand that these decisions are part of the profession and we all have been put in these dynamics at one point or another. As I’ve said before, this game is about relationships and coach O’Brien and Coach Fitz’s relationship goes way back. We have a ton of respect for Fitz and are thankful for what he did for our team. We also have a great group of strength assistants and sports science staff that I have a lot confidence in. We’ll regroup and we’ll evaluate the situation and make another great decision for our team. We’re fortunate to be at the University of Florida and are able to attract the very best in the country.”

This is a breaking news story that will be updated.

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