Florida assistant Jabbar Juluke suspended 3 games for his role in a pre-game scuffle at LSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference and the Florida Gators jointly suspended running backs coach Jabbar Juluke for three games Tuesday for his involvement in an altercation before the team’s game at LSU last weekend.

Juluke, who is in his fourth season at Florida and also is the team’s associate head coach, will miss games against Miami (Saturday night), Texas (Oct. 4) and Texas A&M (Oct. 11).

“Jabbar Juluke’s conduct during the pregame altercation reflects behavior that is unacceptable and not aligned with the standards of the Southeastern Conference,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “Coaches are expected to be leaders and to de-escalate tense situations, and that did not happen in this circumstance. This suspension is appropriate, and any future misconduct by Jabbar Juluke will result in more severe disciplinary action.”

Juluke apologized to both schools, their teams, their staffs and their fans. It was unclear what exactly he did to an LSU player during the scuffles that included players from both teams.

“I also sincerely apologize to the young athlete and his family,” Juluke said.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin commended Juluke for “accepting responsibility in this situation.”

Gators coach Billy Napier said Juluke “will learn from this experience and be better for it.”

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