I think the OP's question still hasn't been answered, so I'll give it a try. The answer is yes, the IC is providing a path to discharge the FET gate. The question then becomes, does the IC sinc enough current to turn the FET off quickly??? I could go through the datasheet and come up with an answer, but this is your design; your responsibility. If it turns out that the current isn't sufficient, then you'll have to try some of the ideas for increasing the drive. Good luck.