Florida to name its football field after Steve Spurrier

The name of the winningest coach in Florida history will be added the field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

That’s right; the name of Steve Spurrier, the head ball coach, will be added to Florida Field following a vote from the school’s Board of Trustees. “Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium,” as it will come to be known, will be unveiled when the Gators open their season against UMass on Sept. 3, the school announced Thursday.

In 12 years as the Gators head coach, Spurrier amassed a 122-27-1 record, including an 87-12 mark in SEC play. During that time, Spurrier led Florida to one national title (1997), one national runner-up finish (1996), six SEC titles and six bowl wins.

Spurrier, a three-year starter at quarterback, was also the first of three Florida Gators to win the Heisman Trophy when he took home the award in 1966.

"We feel this was an appropriate way to commemorate one the most legendary figures in Gator athletics history," said UF athletic director Jeremy Foley. "Coach Spurrier did more than win a Heisman Trophy, a national championship and a bunch of games. Coach Spurrier changed the culture of Florida athletics. We were an institution that always had a mantra of wait until next year and wouldn't it be great to just win one championship.

"Coach changed all of that. The Gators won, won big and won with swagger. As much as he impacted the football program, he changed the vibe in the entire athletic department. He and his wife, Jerri, were big supporters of the entire athletic department – giving advice to different coaches, attending other sporting events and even endowed a scholarship to support women's athletics."

The 71-year-old Spurrier, who went on to coach at South Carolina from 2005-2015, was aware the school planned to honor him during the 2016 season, but did not know his name would be added to the field.

“I was stunned, really, when Jeremy called,” Spurrier said. "I had no idea that was even being considered.”

After a nine years in the NFL from 1967-1976, Spurrier had stints as an assistant at Florida, Georgia Tech and Duke before landing his first head-coaching job with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL in 1983.

He returned to the college ranks in 1987 as the head coach at Duke from 1987-1989 before being hired by his alma mater. Spurrier stayed with the Gators from 1990 to 2001 until he abruptly resigned and accepted a job as head coach of the Washington Redskins. He spent just two seasons in Washington, going 12-20, before he returned to college in 2005 at South Carolina.

Spurrier went 10 straight seasons without a losing record with the Gamecocks, but decided to step down in 2015 after a rough 2-4 start. Overall, Spurrier posted a 86-49 record at South Carolina.

In light of Thursday’s announcement, Spurrier released a statement to FloridaGators.com. Here it is in full:

"I am humbled, honored, thankful and very appreciative that my alma mater, the University of Florida, believes that I am worthy and deserving to have my name placed on Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, also known as 'The Swamp.' I was blessed and fortunate to be recruited and then to play for the original 'Bull Gator' – Coach Ray Graves in the mid-60s. I was fortunate to play with outstanding and talented teammates that allowed our teams to have winning seasons and play in major bowl games and build lasting friendships for a lifetime.

A very special thanks to Coach Doug Dickey, who hired me as an assistant coach in 1978, and allowing me to enter the coaching profession. I will always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me. As the head coach in 1990, I inherited a team that was loaded with outstanding players, who were poised and ready to start winning SEC Championships. We have had many truly great All-American, All-SEC and solid wonderful team-oriented players at Florida and I can't mention them all. I must say that Shane Matthews and Danny Wuerffel were not only two of the greatest quarterbacks in school history, but they were outstanding, excellent, courageous leaders who guided their teams to six SEC championships and one national championship in 1996.

The Swamp is a special place. We coaches and players thoroughly enjoyed playing in front of our fans. We won a bunch of them there and only lost five and they were close ones. I also met my wife, Jerri Starr, at the University of Florida, she has been a tremendous influence on everything I've done since. Again, I say thanks to all of those who made this honor possible and I consider this to be the biggest, most special honor I have ever received."