| Billy Gonzales | |
| Current Title: | Wide receivers coach |
| Current Team: | Florida |
| Current Conference: | SEC |
| Birth Date: | July 18, 1971 |
| Birth Place: | Thornton, Colorado, U.S. |
| Player Years1: | 1989–1992 |
| Player Team1: | Colorado State |
| Player Positions: | Wide receiver |
| Coach Years1: | 1994 |
| Coach Team1: | MacMurray (WR) |
| Coach Years2: | 1995–2001 |
| Coach Team2: | Kent State (WR/RB) |
| Coach Years3: | 2001–2002 |
| Coach Team3: | Bowling Green (WR) |
| Coach Years4: | 2003–2004 |
| Coach Team4: | Utah (STC/WR) |
| Coach Years5: | 2005–2007 |
| Coach Team5: | Florida (WR) |
| Coach Years6: | 2008–2009 |
| Coach Team6: | Florida (RC/WR) |
| Coach Years7: | 2010–2011 |
| Coach Team7: | LSU (PGC/WR) |
| Coach Years8: | 2012 |
| Coach Team8: | Illinois (co-OC/WR) |
| Coach Years9: | 2013 |
| Coach Team9: | Mississippi State (WR) |
| Coach Years10: | 2014–2017 |
| Coach Team10: | Mississippi State (co-OC/WR) |
| Coach Years11: | 2018–2019 |
| Coach Team11: | Florida (co-OC/WR) |
| Coach Years12: | 2020–2021 |
| Coach Team12: | Florida (PGC/WR) |
| Coach Years13: | 2022 |
| Coach Team13: | Florida Atlantic (WR) |
| Coach Years14: | 2023–present |
| Coach Team14: | Florida (WR) |
| Championships: |
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Billy Gonzales (born July 18, 1971) is an American football coach and former player who is wide receivers coach at Florida. He played wide receiver for Colorado State from 1990 to 1994 before he began his coaching career in late 1994.
In 1989, he joined the Colorado State football team. He played for former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce. While he was there, he was mainly a returner, returning 24 punts for 265 yards in 1990 and 16 punts for 330 yards in 1991.[1]
After his playing career, he started his coaching career at small Division-III MacMurray as their wide receivers coach, which he has coached his entire career. He moved on to Kent State in the same role.
He stayed in the Mid-American Conference for his next role at Bowling Green under Urban Meyer, where he met Dan Mullen and John Hevesy, two assistant coaches who Gonzales would coach with many times throughout his career.[2] He moved on to Utah in 2003 with Meyer, Mullen, and Hevesy. He moved with them again to Florida in 2005. After three years as the wide receivers coach, he was promoted to recruiting coordinator in 2008.
He moved on from Florida in 2010 to serve as LSU's passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach under Les Miles. Under his guidance, Rueben Randle had 53 catches for 917 yards in 2011.[3]
In 2012, he became the co-offensive coordinator at Illinois. His offense was an abysmal 122nd out of 124th in total offense, which led to him leaving for Mississippi State, reuniting with Mullen and Hevesy.[4] He was promoted to co-offensive coordinator prior to the 2014. His offense was 17th, 33rd, 56th, and 41st in total offense from 2014–2017. He went with Mullen and Hevesy to Florida in 2018 in the same role.[5]
In 2022, after Florida head coach Dan Mullen was fired, Gonzales joined Willie Taggart's staff at FAU as a wide receivers coach. He returned to Florida before the 2023 season.[6]