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Gators RB Coach Jabbar Juluke Named Broyles Award Nominee

The Broyles Award honors the nation's best assistant coach.

Cam Parker

Florida Gators running back coach Jabbar Juluke / Kyle Lander-Gators Illustrated
Florida Gators running back coach Jabbar Juluke / Kyle Lander-Gators Illustrated / Kyle Lander-Gators Illustrated
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GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida Gators associate head coach and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been nominated for the Broyles Award, which honors the nation's best assistant coach. He is one of 65 nominees, the most in the award's history.

Juluke, who joined the staff alongside Billy Napier prior to the 2022 season, has been one of the Gators best assistants with one of the most consistent position groups over the last three seasons.

This year, behind a three-man rotation of Montrell Johnson Jr., Ja'Kobi Jackson and Jadan Baugh, Florida has rushed for a team total of 1,637 yards and 22 touchdowns. What's been one of Juluke's best traits, at least in head coach Billy Napier's eyes, is his ability to produce.

With veteran Johnson Jr. battling injuries during the middle portion of the season, Florida has found success behind the backs of the inexperienced duo in Baugh, a true freshman, and Jackson, a former JUCO back playing his first season with extensive playing time.

"Jabbar continues to produce. I mean, look, now as much as they play well on Saturday, I don't ever have to worry about a running back off the field," Napier said after the team's win over LSU. I mean, his group is accountable. They do everything right. They're a class act. And he did it at Louisiana. He's done it at other stops in his career. I think his background as a high school coach, he cares for kids, and he's tough on them and he holds them accountable. Hats off to both (Ja'Kobi Jackson and Jadan Baugh) and certainly hats off to CoachĀ JulukeĀ as well."

Baugh leads the Gators with 522 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, which are top-15 and top-10 nationally amongst freshman running backs. Meanwhile, Jackson's added 401 yards and six scores. Johnson Jr., meanwhile, returned as the starter in last week's win over Ole Miss and ran for a season-high 106 yards and the game-winning touchdown.

Overall, the Broyles Award is not one the University of Florida has an extensive history with. Since its beginning in 1996, the Gators have only had one finalist in former receivers coach Dwayne Dixon, who was a finalist in 2001.

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.comĀ of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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