7. Florida Gators
- Record: 735–420–40 (.632)
- All-Time Bowl Record: 24–21 (.533)
- National Championships: 3
- Conference Championships: 8
- Consensus All-Americans: 32
- Heisman Winners: 3
There is one name that built Florida football, Steve Spurrier. He was the Gators’ first Heisman Trophy winner in 1966, then after coaching the Duke Blue Devils from 1987-1989, Spurrier accepted his alma mater’s head coaching position in 1990. Spurrier took the Gators from a mid-tier SEC program to national power when he led the Gators to the national championship.
Spurrier won his first of six SEC titles in 1991 behind quarterback Shane Matthews and running back Eric Rhett and a stingy defense that allowed 15 points per game. Florida’s 1993 SEC title team began a run of six straight 10-plus win seasons and four straight SEC titles, culminating in their first national title in 1996.
Spurrier retired with 122 wins — most all-time a national title and Florida’s second Heisman Trophy winner, Danny Weurffel. The only other coach to match Spurrier’s success was Urban Meyer. Though Meyer’s run was brief (six seasons), the Ohio native won two national titles with three 13-1 season.
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Currently, Meyer’s offensive coordinator for those national title wins was hired away from Mississippi State in 2018. Florida has won 10 or more wins in Mullen’s first two seasons in Gainsville as the Gators seek to return to the top of the SEC.