Florida Gators football , 1970 – 1979 The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football . The University of Florida fielded its first official varsity football team in the fall of 1906 , and has fielded a team every season since then , with the exception of 1943 . During the 1970s , the Gators competed in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA ) and the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , and played their home games at Florida Field on the university ' s Gainesville , Florida campus . This article includes a game - by - game list of the Florida Gators ' ten football seasons from 1970 to 1979 . During the 1970s , the Gators were coached by Douglas A . " Doug " Dickey ( 1970 – 1978 ) and Charles B . " Charley " Pell ( 1979 – 1984 ) . Dickey and Pell compiled an overall record of 58 – 53 – 3 ( . 522 ) during the decade . 1970 . Season overview . The 1970 college football season was Florida alumnus Doug Dickey ' s first of ten as the new head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey had been the starting quarterback for the Gators under coach Bob Woodruff in 1952 and 1953 , and had previously served as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers before returning to his alma mater in 1970 . Dickey ' s 1970 Florida Gators finished with a 7 – 4 overall record and a 3 – 3 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , tying for third among ten SEC teams . 1971 . Season overview . The 1971 college football season was Doug Dickey ' s second as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1971 Florida Gators finished with a 4 – 7 overall record and a 1 – 6 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , tying for eighth among ten SEC teams . The season ended on a controversial note . With the Gators leading the Miami Hurricanes 45 – 8 late in the fourth quarter , Dickey agreed to permit the Gators defense to allow the Hurricanes to score , thus returning the ball to the Gators offense . Dubbed the " Florida Flop " or " Gator Flop , " the move enabled senior quarterback John Reaves to break the NCAA career passing yardage record in his last college game . After the game , Miami coach Fran Curci was so angry that he refused to shake Dickey ' s hand , and several Gators jumped in the pool at the Orange Bowl ' s east end zone used by the Miami Dolphins ' live mascot , Flipper . 1972 . Season overview . The 1972 college football season was the third for Doug Dickey as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1972 Florida Gators finished with a 5 – 5 – 1 overall record and a 3 – 3 – 1 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record , tying for sixth among ten SEC teams . 1973 . Season overview . The 1973 college football season was Doug Dickey ' s fourth as the Florida Gators football team ' s head coach . Dickey ' s 1973 Florida Gators finished with a 7 – 5 overall record and a 3 – 4 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record , tying for fifth among ten SEC teams . The Tangerine Bowl was moved up the Turnpike from Orlando to Gainesville as the then 17 , 000 - seat Citrus Bowl was too small to accommodate the Florida crowd . The fans were greeted by a record cold snap , with gametime temperatures at 25 degrees Fahrenheit ( - 4 degrees Celsius ) ; the cold weather benefited the visiting Miami ( Ohio ) team which won 16 - 7 . 1974 . Season overview . The 1974 college football season was Doug Dickey ' s fifth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1974 Florida Gators finished with an 8 – 4 overall record and a 3 – 3 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , tying for fourth among ten SEC teams . Powered by a strong backfield that included Tony Green and Jimmy DuBose , Dickey employed the wishbone offense for the first season in the Gators ' history . 1975 . Season overview . The 1975 college football season was Doug Dickey ' s sixth and most successful season as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1975 Florida Gators finished with a 9 – 3 overall record and a 5 – 1 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record , tying for second among ten SEC teams . 1976 . Season overview . The 1976 college football season was the seventh for Doug Dickey as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1976 Florida Gators finished with an 8 – 4 overall record and a 4 – 2 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) , placing fourth among ten SEC teams . 1977 . Season overview . The 1977 college football season was Doug Dickey ' s eighth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1977 Florida Gators finished with a 6 – 4 – 1 overall record and a 3 – 3 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record , placing fifth among ten SEC teams . 1978 . Season overview . The 1978 college football season was Doug Dickey ' s ninth and last year as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Dickey ' s 1978 Florida Gators finished with a 4 – 7 overall record and a 3 – 3 Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) record , tying for fourth among ten SEC teams . After leaving Florida , Doug Dickey later became the long - time athletic director of the University of Tennessee ' s Volunteers sports program , and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2003 . 1979 . Season overview . The 1979 college football season was Charles B . " Charley " Pell ' s first of six as the new head coach of the Florida Gators football team . Pell arrived in Gainesville with a new plan for building the Gators football program — new offensive and defensive schemes , new assistant coaches , a new attitude and new boosters fund - raising model to support the program and improve the stadium and training facilities . Pell ' s plan would produce many on - the - field victories over the next five years , but his first campaign as the Gators coach produced the most losses in any single season in Gators football history , ending with a winless 0 – 10 – 1 overall record and a 0 – 6 record in the Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) and placing dead last among ten SEC teams .