Why Buster Faulkner Chose to Leave Georgia Tech to be OC with Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The plan was always for Buster Faulkner to team up with Jon Sumrall. The only question was where.

Faulkner, then the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech, and Sumrall, then the head coach at Tulane, had a preexisting relationship despite never coaching together. Sun Belt Conference foes, Faulkner was an assistant at Arkansas State, while Sumrall was an assistant at Troy. There was also a personal connection as the two families unintentionally vacation at the same beach every summer.

Sumrall had also considered hiring Faulkner when he took the head coaching job at Troy in 2022. Fast-forward to the end of the 2025 season, Sumrall knew his time at Tulane was coming to an end as high-profile programs such as Auburn and Florida came calling. He also knew Faulkner would be his top choice for offensive coordinator.

"In full disclosure, my first couple of conversations with Buster about maybe being on my staff happened before I was the head coach at Florida," Sumrall said. "It was like, hey, if one of these happens one day, what do you think?"

Buster Faulkner comes to Florida with experience as an offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and Georgia Tech. | Susan Broadbridge/Hattiesburg American

Faulkner hardly needed any convincing as Sumrall practically had his pick of the litter. While Florida publically targeted Lane Kiffin, the Gators had tabbed Sumrall has a strong secondary option. Kiffin eventually chose LSU as Florida moved on to Sumrall, hiring him on Nov. 30. Behind the scenes, Faulkner had already decided to join him in Gainesville.

"We had talked about several places, and basically it had gotten to the point when the season ends, you just call me and tell me where we're going, and I'm good," Faulkner detailed. "Obviously, this was one of those."

Throughout the early portion of his tenure, Sumrall has made it clear that he is not backing down from the challenge of winning immediately at Florida, a program with four losing seasons in the last five years and approaching the 20-year mark without an SEC title. It's what attracted athletic director Scott Stricklin to hire Sumrall.

It's also what attracted Faulkner to Sumrall, who has three conference titles in four seasons as a head coach, no matter the location. A place like Florida made the decision that much easier.

"I think you can see his passion, his energy," Faulkner said, adding that being around a guy with Sumrall's passion is something he "craves." "He's a proven winner, and that's something that I was attracted to, right? Obviously, Florida's a great place, got a great tradition, and I look forward to helping restore what's going on here in the past. I really believe that we can do it.

What attracted Sumrall to Faulkner was his adaptability as an offensive coordinator and assistant coach. Known for a run-heavy offense at Georgia Tech with dual-threat quarterback Haynes King, Faulkner also had tremendous success in air raid offenses and in a pro-style offense at Georgia. He credits this adaptability to his time as a player at Valdosta State.

"We're throwing the ball around. Dusty Bonner before me, and he could throw it down the field, he was a great player. And then when I became the quarterback, I couldn't throw it down the field, so we threw it sideways a bunch," he said. "It still had a lot of success."

Let the playmakers make plays 🗣️@Buster_Faulkner | #GoGators pic.twitter.com/H2UEZaFqZc
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) February 4, 2026

It also comes from a six-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee State from 2010-15, where Faulkner admits they "weren't very good" the first year and had to learn the run the ball. That stint turned into a successful tenure as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas State from 2016-18.

In 2017, the Red Wolves ranked 10th nationally in total offense (494.8 yards per game), fifth in passing offense (342.2 yards) and 13th in points per game (37.8), stats which Faulkner credits to veterans in the system.

At Georgia Tech (2022-24), Faulkner emerged as one of the top offensive coordinators at the Power Four level. In his three seasons ranked first in the ACC in rushing (197.8), second in total offense (437.7), third in passing efficiency (144.1) and fifth in scoring offense (31). Changing his ways from a pass-heavy offense, the Yellow Jackets became known for its effective rushing attack, led by quarterback Haynes King.

"Each stop's been a little bit different personnel, and like I said earlier, I'm all about winning, and what it takes to win, right?" he said. "So we're going to adapt to our guys. We're going to throw a lot at them here early, as much as we can, see where that kind of falls. I've got a pretty good idea of the foundation that we're going to do and what we're going to be, but we're going to do what they're really good at and try to do it a bunch of different ways."

Now, Faulkner looks to lead an offensive resurgence for a Florida team with poor output since the 2020 season. He will do it with a relatively new group as the Gators will hold an open quarterback competition, will have new starters on the offensive line and at tight end and will have to figure out its depth and rotation at running back and receiver.

"I'm fired up," Faulkner said. "This is probably the most excited I've been in a long time."

More From Florida Gators on SI