When Bam Hardmon and Phil Trautwein returned to Gainesville in December to join Florida’s coaching staff, they came back to a program that looks very different from the one they once played for. Sure, the Gator logo still shines bright, and the expectations remain sky-high, but the facilities? Those are on another level.
Back in their playing days, the idea of walking straight from the locker room into a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility was just that - an idea. Now, it’s reality.
The Heavener Football Training Center and the adjacent indoor field have turned what used to be a time-consuming trek from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium into a seamless transition that saves players valuable minutes every day. For Hardmon and Trautwein, it’s a game-changer - and a bit of a bittersweet one.
“The building is unbelievable. Wish I would have had it,” Trautwein said.
“But it’s good that we have it.” He’d already made a visit a couple of years ago to show his family around the upgraded facilities.
Now, he gets to work in them every day.
Hardmon didn’t need many words to sum it up: “Definitely upgraded.”
And that’s not just lip service. The upgrades go far beyond a shiny new locker room or a few extra bells and whistles.
The weight room, the nutrition program, the recovery tools - they’ve all taken a massive leap forward. Florida’s current players are training in an environment that rivals the best in the country, and the coaching staff knows it.
Head coach Jon Sumrall, who arrived in Gainesville after a successful stint elsewhere, didn’t hide his excitement when he first laid eyes on the Gators’ weight room.
“I’ve been sharing a weight room the last two years with like six other sports,” Sumrall said at his introductory press conference. “I walked into this weight room, I’m like, man, this is nice.
Who else uses this weight room? They’re like, football only.
I’m like, whoa, that’s going to be cool. I can schedule lifting time anytime I want?”
It’s a luxury he didn’t have before - and one that eliminates a lot of the logistical headaches that can come with running a college football program. No more waiting in line for squat racks.
No more juggling schedules with other teams. Just football.
Rusty Whitt, Florida’s director of football performance, echoed that sentiment after nearly a month of winter workouts. For him, the difference isn’t just about convenience - it’s about performance.
“The size of the facility gives us about 10 more minutes a day of actual exercise and drills,” Whitt said. “But what really blows me away is the nutrition and supplementation we have here. It’s expensive, and we care enough here to do it the right way.”
That level of investment, Whitt says, puts Florida on par with some of the most elite training environments in the world - including the U.S. Olympic Training Center, where he once worked.
“We have no excuses here,” Whitt said. “We have close to 14,000 square feet for football only.
We are right there with the premier SEC schools, the best in the country. So we should be able to produce that.”
Of course, the facilities alone won’t win games. Florida is coming off a 4-8 season in 2025, and the pressure is on to turn things around. But with the resources now in place, the margin for error is shrinking - and everyone in the building knows it.
Trautwein, a two-time national champion during his playing days in Gainesville, understands what it takes to reach the top. And while he marvels at the new tech - from digital iPads that track bar speed and power output to specialized machines targeting every muscle group - he’s quick to remind his players that the basics still matter.
“At the end of the day, it’s about, can you get the bar up and down, do the reps you’re asked, hit your percentages,” he said. “There’s not much to that.
But the guys, as they evolve, they see different ways to work your hamstrings, work your quads, and they do a good job of adapting. That’s what all athletes have to do.”
Some traditions, though, have faded with time. Midnight lifts, once a staple of team-building and toughness, are no longer on the schedule.
Trautwein misses them - not just for the grind, but for the camaraderie they built. Still, he sees the value in the new approach, blending physical development with mental toughness in ways that reflect the evolution of the sport.
And yes, the players these days are living a little more comfortably too.
“I lived in Springs [Residence Hall],” Trautwein said. “I see they got digital screens in their bathrooms.
They’ve got some cool stuff. But it’s awesome.
I’m happy for them, because it helps them - but I wish we had it.”
The message is clear: Florida football is investing in every possible edge, from nutrition to technology to comfort. Now it’s up to the new staff - and the players - to turn that investment into wins.