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Florida defensive line coach Gerald Chatman is set to interview for the same position with the Chicago Bears, according to a report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on Saturday.
Chatman joined the Florida staff in December 2023, replacing Sean Spencer, who was fired a month earlier along with Gators secondary coach Corey Raymond. He coached standouts like Caleb Banks and Cam Jackson in Gainesville while helping the Gators to a No. 11 ranking nationally in sacks last season.
Chatman led a big turnaround in the UF defense during his first season. According to the Florida website, the Gators defensive unit finished last season ranked 9th in the country in red zone defense (.725), the aforementioned 11th in sacks per game (3.0), 11th in fumbles recovered (11) and 13th in turnovers gained (25).
Florida finished the season with at least 1 takeaway in 10 straight games and had a takeaway 12 times in 13 games. A lot of that can be credited to Chatman, who will reportedly now have a chance to take his talents to the NFL.
If Chatman gets the Bears job, he would be taking over for Travis Smith, who was let go during the wave of staff changes coming under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.