In his third year at the helm of the Florida Gators, head coach Will Muschamp was forced to hire three new position coaches and find a new defensive coordinator as adjustments were made to the coaching staff following the 2012 season.

According to information released by Florida on Wednesday, offensive coordinator Brent Pease received a $100,000 hike in his annual salary as well as a one-year contract extension. Pease also earns annual retention bonuses of $100,000.

New special teams coordinator/outside linebackers coach Jeff Choate will be paid $290,000 in his first year on the job ($100,000 higher than the contract he signed to be defensive coordinator at UTEP). Additionally, offensive line coach Tim Davis and tight ends coach Derek Lewis each received $25,000 salary bumps.

The figures for defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, wide receivers coach Joker Phillips and defensive line coach Brad Lawing were previously released on March 1.

A look at the coaching staff’s 2013 salaries compared with their counterparts in 2012:

2013 Coach	2013 Salary	2012 Coach	2012 Salary
Will Muschamp Head Coach	$2.75M (5 years)*	Will Muschamp Head Coach	$2.75M (5 years)
Brent Pease Offensive Coordinator / QB	$590K (3 years)^	Brent Pease Offensive Coordinator / QB	$490K (3 years)
D.J. Durkin Defensive Coordinator / ILB	$490K (2 years)~	Dan Quinn Defensive Coordinator / DL	$510K (2 years)
Jeff Choate Special Teams Coordinator / OLB	$290K (1 year)	D.J. Durkin Special Teams Coordinator / LB	$340K (2 years)
Brad Lawing Assistant Head Coach / DL	$390K (3 years)	Bryant Young Assistant Defensive Line	$230K (1 year left)
Brian White Running Backs	$290K (1 year)	Brian White Running Backs	$290K (1 year)
Tim Davis Offensive Line	$300K (1 year)	Tim Davis Offensive Line	$275K (1 year)
Joker Phillips Wide Receivers / Recruiting	$265K (2 years)	Aubrey Hill Wide Receivers / Recruiting	$230K (1 year)
Travaris Robinson Defensive Backs	$230K (1 year)	Travaris Robinson Defensive Backs	$230K (1 year)
Derek Lewis Tight Ends	$215K (1 year)	Derek Lewis Tight Ends	$190K (1 year)
Jeff Dillman Strength & Conditioning	$215K (1 year)`	Jeff DIllman Strength & Conditioning	$215K (2 years)

* Muschamp received a one-year contract extension through the 2017 season.
^ Pease received a one-year contract extension through the 2015 season.
~ Durkin received a $150,000 raise as he moved from special teams to defensive coordinator and agreed to a new two-year contract.
` Dillman is in the second year of a two-year contract signed in 2012.
- Florida generally signs most of its assistant coaches to one-year renewable contracts (Choate, White, Davis, Robinson, Lewis).
- The Gators are spending $275,000 more in salary than the program did in 2012.

Universal contract notes and bonuses:
- All coaches receive a $10,000 bonus from Florida’s contract with Nike
- All coaches receive use of a car and other tangible incentives
- BCS National Championship Game appearance – up to 30 percent increase
- Other BCS bowl game appearance – 20 percent increase
- SEC Championship Game appearance – 10 percent increase
- Non-BCS bowl game – 10 percent increase
- Bowl game with less than $2 million payout – one month’s salary increase

The Orlando Sentinel and multiple other media outlets obtained the salary information referenced above directly from the University of Florida.

Tags: Brad Lawing, Brent Pease, D.J. Durkin, Derek Lewis, Jeff Choate, Joker Phillips, Tim Davis, Will Muschamp

When head coach Will Muschamp officially took over the Florida Gators back in 2011, he and then-defensive coordinator Dan Quinn both spoke extensively about “affecting the quarterback,” getting pressure on the opposing signal caller, knocking him to the ground and creating game-changing plays.

Florida has not been able to do much of that in Muschamp’s first two years (or Urban Meyer’s last season in 2010). After dominating opposing quarterbacks in 2009 with 39 sacks, the Gators registered just 21 sacks (-18) in 2010, 28 sacks (-11) in 2011 and 30 sacks (-9) in 2012. Trending back upward, yes, but nowhere near as disruptive as he wants the defense to be on a consistent basis.

Muschamp aims to buck that trend next season by loading up Florida’s starting 11 with as many talented pass rushers as possible.

In a post-spring practice depth chart released on Wednesday, the starting-off point for the Gators in fall practice, Muschamp has sophomore Dante Fowler, Jr. inserted as the starter at BUCK with redshirt junior Ronald Powell, who has been listed at that position the last two seasons, as the starting Sam linebacker.

“We’ll start camp in our three-down look to get our best guys on the field. It’s a lengthy discussion we’ve had as a defensive staff,” he said Wednesday. “Certainly Ronald we feel like is going to be one of those guys.”

Powell’s versatility – as well as that of many of Florida’s defenders – allows Muschamp to make that switch with ease. Not only can Powell play both BUCK and Sam, Fowler can spend time as Buck and defensive end, ensuring that both can be on the field at the same time no matter where they are situated on defense.

Continue Reading » Gators have a plan to affect quarterback more

Tags: Brad Lawing, Dante Fowler, Darrin Kitchens, Dominique Easley, Jonathan Bullard, Neiron Ball, Ronald Powell, Will Muschamp

Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Gainesville, FL [Capacity: 88,548]
Time: 1:00 p.m. (EDT)

TV: Sun Sports (Larry Vettel, Nat Moore, Brady Ackerman)
SiriusXM: None | Radio: Gator Radio Network [Affiliates]
Online Video: FOXSportsFlorida.com (nationally) | Mobile Video: None
Live Updates: @OnlyGators on Twitter

Reference: Roster | Schedule

EVENT INFORMATION

Schedule:
9:00 a.m. – Gator Locker Room Yard Sale (outside Gate 9)
10:00 a.m. – Verizon Fan Fest in North End Zone Lawn
10:30 a.m. – Gator Walk
11:30 a.m. – Gates Open to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
11:30 a.m. – Warm-ups begin on the field
12:30 p.m. – Alumni Flag Football Game
1:00 p.m. – Orange & Blue Debut

Parking: Stephen C. O’Connell Center parking garage (first-come, first serve), Gale Lemerand Drive commuter lot (with shuttle)

Tickets: Free for alumni, students and the general public.

EVENT FORMAT

Instead of a full scrimmage, Saturday’s event will be an open practice that also includes limited scrimmage snaps. Florida will mix in approximately 40 scrimmage snaps with football drills. The format adjustment was made because the Gators currently only have six healthy offensive linemen and head coach Will Muschamp feels that it would be right to ask them to participate in 60-100 snaps over the course of a single afternoon. “It’s not fair to go into a spring game situation and ask these guys to take 60-70 snaps in a row,” he explained. “That’s not healthy. That’s not good, it’s not good for our team.”

Muschamp also detailed what will occur during the practice/scrimmage (in order): (1) Field goal/point after touchdown drills, (2) punting and individual drills, (3) one-on-one work with the secondary and receivers going head-to-head while the quarterbacks throw the ball, (4) one-on-one work with block reaction for the offensive line, (5) linebackers and running backs picking up blitz protection and coverage responsibilities, (6) two series of scrimmage with the ball on the 35-yard line, a total of 8-12 plays, (7) red zone one-on-one, (8) offensive and defensive line two-on-ones, (9) two series of scrimmage with the ball at the 35 yard line, a total of 8-12 plays, (10) two full cover punts and a punt/punt block drill, (11), two series of scrimmage from midfield, (12) two full cover kickoffs and a kickoff/kickoff return drill, (13) two series of scrimmage from midfield, (14) red zone 7-on-7s with the ball at the 18-yard line, (15) additional drills including pass rushing, (16) backed up punt drill, (17) one-minute scrimmage drill.

“It’s about getting good-on-good work. It’s about getting your best players going against your best players. … You get better when you’re going good-on-good,” Muschamp said. “This is good work. It’s good special teams work. This is a normal scrimmage-type situation for us as far as our football team is concerned. It’s good-on-good and that’s all I’m concerned with.”

MORE: Injury report, offensive and defensive notes, list of commitments and recruits in attendance…all available after the break!
Continue Reading » 2013 Florida Gators Orange & Blue Debut Preview

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Antonio Morrison, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Brad Lawing, Chaz Green, Cody Riggs, Damien Jacobs, Daniel McMillian, Dante Fowler, Darious Cummings, Darrin Kitchens, Demarcus Robinson, Gideon Ajagbe, Ian Silberman, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jeremy Brown, Jessamen Dunker, Joker Phillips, Jon Halapio, Jonathan Bullard, Kelvin Taylor, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Mack Brown, Marcus Maye, Matt Jones, Matt Rolin, Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, Orange & Blue Debut, Quinteze Williams, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Ronald Powell, Skyler Mornhinweg, Solomon Patton, Trip Thurman, Tyler Murphy, Will Muschamp

Now two weeks into 2013 spring football practice, Florida Gators defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin met with the media on Thursday to discuss some of the latest developments surrounding the team and provide updates on specific players.

KEY TO THE DEFENSE: BUCK LINEBACKER

Head coach Will Muschamp, above all else, has stressed creating turnovers and affecting the quarterback as two of his main tent poles for a successful defense. The Gators made great strides in the former category in 2012, coming away from the season with a +15 turnover margin (30 total turnovers gained) compared to a -12 margin (14 total turnovers gained) in 2011.

As far as affecting the quarterbacks with sacks is concerned, Florida was not as successful. As a team, the Gators registered 28 sacks in 2011 and finished with just two more for 30 in 2012. Though Florida was able to apply more pressure, it did not always result in getting the quarterback to a ground.

Part of the reason the Gators were unable to make bigger strides in that area was the fact that they were not playing with their ideal personnel at the Buck linebacker position, the key to Muschamp’s defense. Redshirt junior Ronald Powell missed the entire season with a torn ACL, so Lerentee McCray stepped up as the starter and freshman Dante Fowler, Jr. got a look as well. Now with Powell expected to be healthy for the fall, Durkin is confident that Florida will be able to get more production from the position.

“Scheme is one thing but when you got the guys out there that are hard to block, that’s another thing. It adds another dimension to it. With those guys, we really feel good about our one-on-one match-ups. When we get those guys one-on-one, we should be winning more than we’re losing,” he said Thursday.

Powell is not healthy enough yet to practice, but the Gators appear confident that he will be able to suit up when fall practice rolls around.

Continue Reading » 3/28: Durkin talks Gators defense, evaluations

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Brad Lawing, Cody Riggs, D.J. Durkin, Damien Jacobs, Daniel McMillian, Dante Fowler, Darious Cummings, Jabari Gorman, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Maye, Ronald Powell

With the Florida Gators set to begin 2013 spring practice on Wednesday, head coach Will Muschamp and new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin met with the media Tuesday to discuss a variety of topics concerning the team’s defense.

RELATED: Spring depth chart released | Muschamp, Pease on offense

A NEW MAN IN CHARGE…

Durkin will be entering his fourth year as a member of the Gators’ coaching staff but will begin the 2013 season with a brand new task – coordinating a defense. After spending his career as a position coach and special teams coordinator, Durkin is now the man in charge of Florida’s defense and realizes he has plenty of work ahead of him.

» Durkin on becoming the defensive coordinator: “I’m very excited, excited because of the guys I get to work with both players and coaches. I think it’s a great opportunity. I’m very excited about it. It’s a new challenge. I’ve been doing special teams for a while, so any time you do something for that long, you kind of get in your routine and get to the normalcies of it and all that. It’s exciting for me to have a new challenge and some different things to work on and do.”

» Durkin on his defensive philosophy: “The number one thing that it comes down to is, and I think you’ve seen the identity of our defense, what we as a staff want to build here. We want to be tough, blue-collar team. We want to play with unbelievable effort and enthusiasm in what we’re doing. That’s the way I coach. That’s my personality. That’s what I hope I’ve carried over to our special teams while I’m here and it will be the same thing with our defense. We got a great system in place. We’re not changing terminology and all that. Coach Muschamp, it’s his system and he’s a great defensive mind. It’s been great for all of us to learn that system. To me, that is what this game is all about, being a blue-collar team, both mentally and physically tough, playing with great enthusiasm and great attitude. “

Continue Reading » Muschamp, Durkin discuss Florida Gators defense

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Alex McCalister, Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brad Lawing, Brad Phillips, Brian White, Bryan Cox, Bryant Young, D.J. Durkin, Daniel McMillian, Dante Fowler, Darrin Kitchens, Dominique Easley, Jeremi Powell, Joey Ivie, Joker Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, Kyle Christy, Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, Ronald Powell, Travaris Robinson, Will Muschamp

Spring practice for the Florida Gators football program begins on Wednesday, March 13 and lasts for 15 practices concluding with the 2013 Orange & Blue Debut spring game on Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m. Below is the second half of OGGOA‘s new two-part series that takes a look at the team on a position-by-position basis.

PART ONE: Offense

DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Returning starters (0/2): None
Fresh faces: Junior Darious Cummings, redshirt freshman Quinteze Williams

The Gators have plenty of holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball and it will be up to new defensive line coach Brad Lawing and assistant defensive line coach Bryant Young to figure out how to plug up the middle. With Sharrif Floyd set to become a top-five pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and Omar Hunter finally graduating after five years at the school, Florida will be looking to replace both of its starters. Senior Damien Jacobs, a junior college transfer who played in 12 games during his first season with the Gators, likely has the edge for one of the jobs but will still go up against Cummings (a 2013 JUCO transfer from the same school as Jacobs), Williams and redshirt junior Leon Orr, all of whom will compete for the two positions.

DEFENSIVE ENDS
Returning starters (1/2): Senior Dominique Easley
Fresh faces: Redshirt freshman Bryan Cox, Jr., redshirt freshman Alex McCalister, freshman Joey Ivie

Easley started all 12 regular season games at defensive tackle in 2011 and will be used inside some in 2013 despite starting 11 games at defensive end last season. His flexibility leaves the door open for a number of other players to make an impact. Sophomore Jonathan Bullard earned a pair of starts in 2012 and got rave reviews from the coaching staff; he is next in line to start and/or see major field time as a pure defensive end. McCalister, who won three Scout Team Player of the Week awards and was named Most Valuable Defensive Scout Team Member at the team banquet in Dec. 2012, was praised by head coach Will Muschamp at the end of the season.

Florida’s defense also features a Buck, which can line up with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end or upright as a linebacker. (For the purpose of this feature, Buck has been included in this position group.) Redshirt junior Ronald Powell was praised as much as any member of the team in the 2012 offseason but wound up missing the entire campaign with consecutive ACL tears. Lerentee McCray started in his place but graduated after his redshirt senior season. Though Powell will not participate in spring practice, he will retake his role as starter in the summer assuming he is medically cleared. He will be joined by sophomore Dante Fowler, Jr. – Powell’s heir apparent – and McCalister.

Continue Reading » Gators 2013 Spring Football Preview: Defense

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Alex McCalister, Andre Debose, Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brad Lawing, Brad Phillips, Brian Poole, Bryan Cox, Bryant Young, Cody Riggs, Damien Jacobs, Daniel McMillian, Dante Fowler, Darious Cummings, Darrin Kitchens, Dominique Easley, Drew Ferris, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jeremi Powell, Jeremy Brown, Joey Ivie, Jonathan Bullard, Kyle Christy, Kyle Crofoot, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Maye, Marcus Roberson, Matt Rolin, Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, Quinteze Williams, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Ronald Powell, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

In his third year at the helm of the Florida Gators, head coach Will Muschamp was forced to hire two new position coaches and find a new defensive coordinator as adjustments were made to the coaching staff following the 2012 season.

According to information released by Florida on Friday, new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin had his pay bumped up to $490,000 per season.

It was also announced that wide receivers coach Joker Phillips signed a two-year contract at a rate of $265,000 per season and defensive line coach Brad Lawing jumped aboard with a three-year contract paying him $390,000 annually. Lawing also received a $50,000 signing bonus and will receive another $50,000 as a retention bonus if he remains with the team through the end of his contract and into 2016.

A look at the coaching staff’s 2013 salaries compared with their counterparts in 2012:

2013 Coach	2013 Salary	2012 Coach	2012 Salary
Will Muschamp Head Coach	$2.75M (5 years)*	Will Muschamp Head Coach	$2.75M (5 years)
Brent Pease Offensive Coordinator / QB	$590K (3 years)^	Brent Pease Offensive Coordinator / QB	$490K (3 years)
D.J. Durkin Defensive Coordinator / ILB	$490K (2 years)~	Dan Quinn Defensive Coordinator / DL	$510K (2 years)
Jeff Choate Special Teams Coordinator / OLB	$290K (1 year)	D.J. Durkin Special Teams Coordinator / LB	$340K (2 years)
Brad Lawing Assistant Head Coach / DL	$390K (3 years)	Bryant Young Assistant Defensive Line	$230K (1 year left)
Brian White Running Backs	$290K (1 year)	Brian White Running Backs	$290K (1 year)
Tim Davis Offensive Line	$300K (1 year)	Tim Davis Offensive Line	$275K (1 year)
Joker Phillips Wide Receivers / Recruiting	$265K (2 years)	Aubrey Hill Wide Receivers / Recruiting	$230K (1 year)
Travaris Robinson Defensive Backs	$230K (1 year)	Travaris Robinson Defensive Backs	$230K (1 year)
Derek Lewis Tight Ends	$215K (1 year)	Derek Lewis Tight Ends	$190K (1 year)
Jeff Dillman Strength & Conditioning	$215K (1 year)`	Jeff DIllman Strength & Conditioning	$215K (2 years)

* Muschamp received a one-year contract extension through 2017.
^ Pease is in the second year of a three-year contract signed in 2012.
~ Durkin received a $150,000 raise as he moved from special teams to defensive coordinator and agreed to a new two-year contract.
` Dillman is in the second year of a two-year contract signed in 2012.
- Florida signs most assistant coaches to one-year renewable contracts. Therefore, retained coaches are listed with their respective salaries from the 2012 season until the university releases new contract information in August.
- The Gators are spending $65,000 more in salary than the program did in 2012.

Universal contract notes and bonuses:
- All coaches receive a $10,000 bonus from Florida’s contract with Nike
- All coaches receive use of a car and other tangible incentives
- BCS National Championship Game appearance – up to 30 percent increase
- Other BCS bowl game appearance – 20 percent increase
- SEC Championship Game appearance – 10 percent increase
- Non-BCS bowl game – 10 percent increase
- Bowl game with less than $2 million payout – one month’s salary increase

The Florida Times Union and multiple other media outlets obtained the salary information referenced above via an open records request.

Tags: Brad Lawing, D.J. Durkin, Joker Phillips, Will Muschamp

Four-star linebacker Christian Miller (Columbia, SC), a member of the Rivals100 for the 2014 recruiting cycle, became the third player to commit to the Florida Gators at Junior Day in Gainesville, FL on Saturday.

Miller, who registered 14 sacks during his junior campaign at Spring Valley High School, joined offensive linemen Travaris Dorsey (Jacksonville, FL) and Benjamin Knox (Deland, FL) as the newest members of Florida’s recruiting class. The Gators now have six pledges for 2014 with Miller on board as just the second defensive player.

The son of former South Carolina starter and nine-year NFL veteran LB Corey Miller, he undoubtedly took his father’s advice when making his pledge. The older Miller was coached by new Florida defensive line coach Brad Lawing when both were at USC.

The Gators gained and lost a Rivals100 member on Saturday. Prior to adding Miller (ranked No. 91 overall), Florida lost four-star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL). The No. 46-ranked prospect decommitted from the Gators in order to open up his recruitment, a move that was expected and certainly not a surprise.

Florida’s other 2014 pledges include four-star quarterback Will Grier (Davidson, NC), four-star wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) and four-star cornerback Duke Dawson (Cross City, FL). All three are ranked on the Rivals250 at No. 18, No. 119 and No. 219, respectively.

Miller’s commitment was first reported by ESPN‘s Kipp Adams.

Tags: Benjamin Knox, Brad Lawing, Christian Miller, Duke Dawson, NFL, Ryeshene Bronson, Travaris Dorsey, Travonte Valentine, Will Grier