Gators release 2019 season schedule
Florida released its 2019 season football schedule on Tuesday afternoon. The Gators’ home schedule features matchups with Auburn, Tennessee and Florida State.
The Gators will face the Tigers for the first time since 2011 when Auburn defeated Florida 17-6 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It’ll be the 83rd meeting between the two teams, and Auburn holds a 43-38 all-time advantage over Florida.
UF will open its 2019 season against the Miami Hurricanes at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. The two programs last met in 2013 when the Hurricanes edged out the Gators 21-16 in Miami Gardens.
The long history between the Gators and the Hurricanes dates back to 1938, and Miami leads the all-time series 29-26.
Florida will open its SEC schedule against Kentucky for the second straight season. The Gators will take on the Wildcats in Week 3 in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Gators will also have two bye weeks for the first time since 2014, one before their annual contest against Georgia and another before they take on Florida State for their last regular season game of the season.
GPD releases photos of Zach Smith, Courtney Smith domestic incident
The Gainesville Police Department released photos Monday from a 2009 domestic incident between former UF graduate assistant coach Zach Smith and Courtney Smith, his wife at the time.
The photos, which appear to show both Courtney and Zach Smith with bruises and scratches, were obtained by Eleven Warriors through a records request.
Courtney Smith stands for a police photo the night of her then-husband's arrest.
The police report from the June 21, 2009, arrest states Courtney Smith was “crying and visibly emotional” when a GPD officer arrived on the scene. The officer arrested Zach Smith and charged him with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman. Courtney Smith said she was three months into her pregnancy with the couple’s first child, according to the report.
The charge was later dropped by Courtney Smith. The incident occured at the Smiths’ apartment in Gainesville.
Former UF graduate assistant coach Zach Smith was charged in 2009 with aggravated battery of a pregnant woman. The charge was later dropped.
Zach Smith's arm on the night of his arrest shows some redness.
Zach Smith was a member of Urban Meyer’s staff when Meyer coached for Florida from 2005-2010. He was a wide receivers coach at OSU before he was fired in July.
The photos come two days after Meyer completed his three-game suspension. At Big Ten Media Days, Meyer stated he was aware of the 2009 incident, but had no knowledge of a separate domestic violence incident that preceded the Smiths’ divorce in 2015.
The Eleven Warriors article says these were the only known police photos taken that night.
UF releases information on Dan Mullen’s $36.6 million contract
Florida head coach Dan Mullen has signed his $36.6 million dollar contract, according to a public records report.
The University of Florida released the details of Mullen’s contract on Monday. The coach will receive an annual salary of $6,103,000, which will make him the eighth-highest paid coach in the NCAA, according to the Houston Chronicle. To compare, the Houston Chronicle reported that Alabama coach Nick Saban will be making $8.3 million in 2018.
The contract also includes bonus incentives. They include $400,000 for winning the College Football Playoff, $200,000 for winning the SEC Championship and $100,000 for making it to any bowl game.
The contract also has a buyout option for both Florida and Mullen.
If Mullen resigns, he would have to pay the school $2 million.
If Mullen is fired without cause, his buyout will be $12 million. Half of that will be paid out within 30 days of the firing and the rest will be paid out annually over the following six years.
UF is still paying Florida’s previous two head coaches in Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain, both of whom were bought out of their contracts.
According to the Florida Times-Union, McElwain will receive three $1 million payments on July 1 until 2020, then one final payment of $500,000 on July 1, 2021.
Muschamp will receive his last payment of $787,500 in November.
UF has two bye weeks on its 2019 schedule along with a season-opening matchup with Miami on Aug. 31.
