Florida fourth-year running backs coach Jabbar Juluke has been suspended three games for his role in a pregame altercation Saturday at LSU, the school and SEC announced in a joint statement.
Neither the league nor school specified Juluke’s actions during the well-documented blowup, but in the statement, Juluke apologized to an unspecified player and his family. He’ll miss UF’s upcoming gauntlet at No. 4 Miami (Saturday), vs. No. 8 Texas at home (Oct. 4), and at No. 10 Texas A&M (Oct. 11).
“Jabbar Juluke’s conduct during the pregame altercation reflects behavior that is unacceptable and not aligned with the standards of the Southeastern Conference,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in the statement. “Coaches are expected to be leaders and to de-escalate tense situations, and that did not happen in this circumstance.”
Juluke has served on coach Billy Napier’s staffs, at Louisiana and Florida, since 2018. On his watch at UF, the Gators have posted 12 200-yard rushing performances. Last season, he oversaw the breakthrough of Jadan Baugh, who led the team with 133 rushes for 673 yards and seven touchdowns, earning Freshman All-SEC honors.
“I, first, would like to apologize to both Florida and LSU universities, their teams, staff and fans,” Juluke said in the statement.
“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.”
Napier said Juluke’s actions “are not up to the standard of our program.”
“Coach Juluke is a man of character and has taken full responsibility for his actions,” Napier said. “I believe Coach Juluke will learn from this experience and be better for it.”
