Florida’s new football coach Jon Sumrall made his first major hire with longtime Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White accepting the same position Thursday in Gainesville.

White, 43, was Kentucky’s defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach from 2019-25, and was that position’s coach in 2018. He spent the six prior seasons with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts (2012-17), rising from defensive quality control coach to outside linebackers coach.

“Brad is one of the best defensive minds in football and I’m thrilled he will be joining us in Gainesville,” said Sumrall, an assistant with White at Kentucky from 2019-21, including the final year as co-defensive coordinators. “Brad has led one of the best defenses in the SEC the last seven years and has extensive experience in the NFL as well. His defenses possess the exact characteristics we are going to have here at Florida, and I can’t think of a better leader for that unit.”

The Wildcats’ defense ranked in the FBS top 45 from 2018-24, including top 25 in 2018, 2018, 2021 and 2022.

“I’m ready to hit the ground running on helping construct a defense that will make Gator Nation proud,” White said in a news release from the athletic department. “Coach has already stated the vision: be the most feared defense in college football. Now comes the hard work necessary to make that vision a reality. And while scheme has its importance, the most critical focus we’ll have as a defensive staff will be to develop the highly talented playmakers we recruit and demand that they play with a pace and violence second to none.”

One of those players at Kentucky was linebacker Josh Hines-Allen, now a stellar defensive end with the Jacksonville Jaguars. A first-team All-America selection and the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year along with numerous national individual awards in 2018, Hines-Allen praised his former position coach.

“First of all, they’re getting a great person, a great communicator, a guy that wants the best for his players,” Hines-Allen said in the news release. “He was my positional coach when I had him, and the time we spent together helped me develop and be where I am today. I give him a lot of credit and a lot of respect and love. He’s done a lot of good things for that program. Hopefully, he continues to have that success at Florida.”

White also worked at Kentucky with Liam Coen, the Jaguars’ first-year head coach, who called him “one of the smarter guys, coaches, I’ve been around at any level.”

“True teacher of the game,” said Coen, the offensive coordinator at Kentucky in 2021 and 2023. “I learned so much from Brad in terms of the way that he saw the game. He is one of the more detailed, organized coaches I’ve been around in terms of his process throughout the week, his checklists throughout the week and then his game plans to be able to go and cause issues for people.”

White was a starting linebacker at Wake Forest, where he graduated in 2004.

–Field Level Media