Ranking Steve Spurrier's Best Quotes with the Florida Gators
GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The "Head Ball Coach" Steve Spurrier turned 81 on Monday. The Florida Gators' first Heisman Trophy winner, first head football coach to win a national championship in program history and the namesake for the field inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Spurrier is arguably the greatest steward in UF athletics history.
In honor of his birthday, Florida Gators on SI is ranking his best quotes across his years with the university.
HM "Do something different"
This may not be a classic Spurrier-ism, but you cannot ignore his dismay while watching the previous tenure. Billy Napier's 22-24 record in less than four seasons was anything but what Spurrier's tenure was. While he is an ambassador for the university, it did not stop Spurrier from criticizing what he say.
After Florida's season-opening loss to Miami in 2024: "Whatever we're doing - and that's up to the head ball coach over there, Billy Napier - man, do something different. I don't care what it is. Do something different."
After Florida scored a combined 33 points in the losses to USF, LSU and Miami: "I guess we need to learn how to score on defense since the offense isn't scoring much."
After Napier's firing: "It was sad to hear but it wasn't a shock. Coaches are as good as their record."
Spurrier had his other criticisms, such as Florida continually playing DJ Lagway through his struggles in 2025, his critique of the organization of the program as a whole after the 2023 season and other sideline demeaner of Napier and his coaches. It's safe to say, though, Spurrier's comments only added fuel to a fire.
For now, though, new head coach Jon Sumrall appears to have Spurrier's support.
"We just need him to win," Spurrier said after Sumrall's introducty press conference in December. "And he can do it. You got to have that mindset. You can tell his mindset is different than some of these coaches we've had here in the past."
5. New Testament Guy vs. Old Testament Guy
Danny Wuerffel's 1996 Heisman Trophy meant that Spurrier became the first Heisman Trophy winner to coach a Heisman Trophy winner. The two could not have been more different deamenor-wise on the sideline, though. Spurrier discussed the differences in 1996, while referencing the Bible.
"I think he's sort of like a New Testament guy," he said. "He gets slapped upside the face, and he turns the other cheek. He says, 'Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' I'm probably more of an Old Testament guy. You spear our guy in the earhole, and we think we're supposed to be able to spear you in the earhole. That's how we're a little different."
4. "The real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored in yet."
Spurrier did not pull his punches when discussing Florida's rivals. It certainly helped when his rivals gave him ammo.
When a dormitory caught on fire and destroyed 20 books, Spurrier had a quick quip ready to roll.
"The real tragedy was that 15 hadn't been colored in yet," he said.
In his 12 seasons leading the program, Spurrier went 10-3 against Auburn, including seven straight wins from 1995 to 2000. That 2000 season saw the Gators beat Auburn twice with a 38-7 win in Gainesville and a 28-6 win in the SEC Championship Game.
3. Peyton, the Vols and the Citrus Bowl
While at Florida, Spurrier went 8-4 against Florida's main SEC East rival, Tennessee. A win usually meant Florida was going to the SEC Championship Game, while Tennessee would end up at the Citrus Bowl. Safe to say, Spurrier took advantage of those opportunities for smack talk.
"You can't spell Citrus without U-T," Spurrier famously said about the Volunteers.
Spurrier also had some of his best success against Tennessee's best. One of the greatest quarterbacks of all time in Peyton Manning can never say he beat the Gators, going 0-4 against Florida in his time with the program. That stat provided another opportunity for Spurrier.
"I know why Peyton came back for his senior year. He wanted to be a three-time star of the Citrus Bowl," he said.
Tennessee ultimately got the last laugh in 2001, handing Spurrier his final loss while snapping an 11-game home winning streak for Florida and knocking the Gators out of the SEC title game. Still, his 8-4 mark against Tennessee ultimately gives him the advantage.
2. Free Shoes University
After a scandal involving an agent paying for $6,000 worth of merchandise for FSU football players at Foot Locker, Spurrier found a new meaning for FSU: Free Shoes University. The incident allowed Spurrier to take a jab at another rival, while also giving him an opportunity to discuss recruiting.
"Our recruiting, we had another solid year," Spurrier said in an appearance before the Polk County Gator Club boosters that year. "We didn't get as many blue-chip players as FSU got, but I'm starting to understand why they're getting so many of those guys now."
Fast foward 30 years, bidding for players with "NIL deals" and revenue share contracts is legal, but at least Spurrier was able to get his jabs in while he could.
1. "God has smiled on the Gators"
Spurrier's quote after the Gators thumped Florida State to win the 1997 Sugar Bowl said it all. A regular season loss to the Seminoles put the Gators' title chances in grave danger, but after a win over Alabama in the SEC title game, a revenge win over Florida State in the Sugar Bowl and No. 4 Ohio State's win over No. 2 Arizona State in the Rose Bowl, the Gators found themselves atop the polls and winners of its first national championship in school history.
It only made it better that Spurrier, the program's first Heisman Trophy winner, a former assistant and the man who righted the ship after a scandal-ridden decade in the 1980s was the one to do it.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Ranking Steve Spurrier's Best Quotes with the Florida Gators.
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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 11:21 AM.