New Florida football coach Jon Sumrall is already building a powerhouse staff for his inaugural season. Within days of his hiring, Sumrall has already added former Kentucky assistant Brad White as his defensive coordinator.

White joins Sumrall's staff after seven years as Kentucky's defensive coordinator under head coach Mark Stoops. The Gators announced the hiring on Thursday.

Kentucky allowed 22.1 points per game under White from 2018 to 2025, a top-20 mark in the FBS, according to Florida's announcement. White was the leader of the Wildcats' stalwart defenses in their 10-win seasons in 2018 and 2021.

White got promoted to defensive coordinator after one year as Kentucky's outside linebackers coach. He has also been a defensive assistant with the Indianapolis Colts and Air Force.

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White became available when Kentucky fired Stoops at the end of the 2025 college football season. Stoops had been the fourth-longest-tenured head coach in the FBS at the time of his firing.

As a defensive-minded coach in his own right, Sumrall is ecstatic to have White on his inaugural Florida football coaching staff. The 43-year-old expressed his excitement with the hire, calling White “one of the best defensive minds in football.”

“Brad is one of the best defensive minds in football and I'm thrilled he will be joining us in Gainesville,” Sumrall said, via the team website. “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.”

Sumrall's teams at Troy and Tulane routinely ranked near the top of the FBS in almost every major defensive category. He will undoubtedly influence the Gators' revamped defense, which now has even higher expectations with White on board.