Heater to join Addazio as defensive coordinator

Former Florida Gators co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Chuck Heater has joined head coach Steve Addazio’s Temple Owls staff and taken the reigns as the team’s defensive coordinator, sources confirmed to the Philadelphia Daily News.

A career assistant coach who has coached in the NCAA since 1976, Heater’s only prior defensive coordinator experience was with Colorado State from 1991-92 before he was given an enhanced role with Florida last season. He is known as a terrific secondary coach and recruiter who has helped bring in major defensive talent for the Gators.

The Daily News reports that Heater joined Addazio at Temple’s basketball game Wednesday evening and will be announced as his defensive coordinator shortly.

Addazio has also hired two former Florida graduate assistants who currently work as coaches for the Marshall Thundering Herd under head coach Doc Holliday (himself a former Gators assistant), according to the paper.

Defensive line coach Sean Cronin served as a defensive graduate assistant at Florida from 2005-08, while wide receivers coach Zach Smith (hired as the Owls’ special teams coach) was a offensive/special teams quality control assistant, recruit evaluator and offensive/special teams graduate assistant at UF from 2006-09.