Florida’s Muschamp looks to fill in coaching staff

With the hire of any new head coach there is usually extensive turnover on the previous coaching staff. According to various reports, things will not be much different for new Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp, who is expected to hire numerous coaches outside the current staff while only retaining a few members.

The Gainesville Sun reported Saturday that Muschamp has chosen to bring back running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton and linebackers/special teams coach D.J. Durkin, though their responsibilities may be adjusted in the new staff.

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, whose sources confirmed Weis’s interest in Florida on Friday, reported Saturday that Miami Hurricanes wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Aubrey Hill has said he will leave Miami to coach under Muschamp even though new Hurricanes head coach Al Golden said 12 days ago that he would be retaining Hill.

A Miami, FL native, Hill is a Gators alum who played for head coach Steve Spurrier from 1991-94 when Florida won their first three Southeastern Conference Championships. He served as a graduate assistant under Spurrier from 1996-98 and has coached wide receivers since 1999 including stints at Duke (1999-2003), Elon (2004), Pittsburgh (2005-07) and Miami (2008-10). He served as the Hurricanes recruiting coordinator only for the 2010 season.

Though it has yet to be confirmed, Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach and defensive line coach Dan Quinn has emerged as the most talked about candidate to serve as the Gators next defensive coordinator. Muschamp noted that he wished to run a pro-style defense and was expected to find a candidate with NFL experience.

Quinn, who has coached in the NFL since 2001, served as defensive line coach when Muschamp was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Nick Saban. That year Miami ranked 15th in total defense (19.8 points and 317.4 yards per game) but was second in quarterback sacks (49).

It is unknown what Muschamp plans to do with current Florida co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chuck Heater or tight ends coach Brian White, both of whom were expected by many to be considered for roles on the new coaching staff.

Offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Steve Addazio, who has been hired as head coach of the Temple Owls, will be replaced by Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis with an announcement expected for Monday. Associate head coach and defensive line coach Dan McCarney left the team before its bowl game to take the top job with the North Texas Mean Green

OGGOA will continue updating you on the Gators coaching staff situation as more information is made available.

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Steve Addazio hired as Temple Owls head coach

A source inside the Florida Gators football program confirmed to OGGOA Wednesday afternoon that offensive coordinator Steve Addazio has been hired by the Temple Owls to be the team’s next head coach.

Addazio, who interviewed for the position on Monday, struggled over the last two seasons as Florida’s offensive coordinator but is considered a terrific position coach, recruiter and motivator who always does his best to get maximum effort from his players.

He was named ESPNU’s recruiter of the year due to the major part he played in helping corral the Gators’ top-ranked 2010 recruiting class and served as interim head coach for Urban Meyer after he briefly stepped down and then during his recovery last year. Addazio replaced Meyer at numerous public speaking engagements and helped fill in the coaching staff with new hires after it was ravaged by departures when former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong accepted the Louisville head coaching position.

Addazio has coached in college since 1995. He served as offensive coordinator at Indiana from 2002-04 before being plucked away by Meyer to coach the offensive line and tight ends at Florida, a role he held for two years. Meyer promoted Addazio to assistant head coach from 2007-08 and then to offensive coordinator after Dan Mullen left to take the top job with Mississippi State before the 2009 season.

Much maligned by Gators fans for his tenure as the team’s playcaller, Addazio’s future with Florida appeared bleak with Meyer stepping down and new head coach Will Muschamp looking for an offensive coordinator with both college and NFL experience.

He is the ninth assistant coach under Meyer who has gone on to become a Division I head coach following in the footsteps of Gregg Brandon (Bowling Green), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Mike Sanford (UNLV), Tim Beckham (Toledo), Mullen, Doc Holliday (Marshall), Strong and Dan McCarney (North Texas).

Signing a five-year deal at Temple, he will replace head coach Al Golden, who recently left to accept the same job with the Miami Hurricanes.

A press conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA, on Thursday though Addazio is expected to coordinate the Gators’ offense in the 2011 Outback Bowl.

This story was first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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