Florida Gators coaching staff: Where things stand with Gonzales, Hevesy, Grantham on board

By Adam Silverstein
November 30, 2017
Florida Gators coaching staff: Where things stand with Gonzales, Hevesy, Grantham on board
Football

Image Credit: @GatorsFB/Twitter

Florida Gators head football coach Dan Mullen has not faced much difficulty filling out the top part of his coaching staff, bringing over his three primary coordinators from the Mississippi State Bulldogs over the first few days of his tenure in Gainesville, Florida.

The Gators have already announced that co-offensive coordinators Billy Gonzales and John Hevesy are aboard (though their positions were not specified), and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham announced his move — and subsequently changed his social media profiles accordingly — on Wednesday night.

With those three now in the fold and four of Jim McElwain’s assistants still on staff (six have been dismissed), let’s take a look at where Florida stands with three weeks until the early signing period.

Position assignments below are assumed based on previous roles and experience.

Head coach: Dan Mullen
Co-offensive coordinator/passing game/WR: Billy Gonzales
Co-offensive coordinator/running game/OL or TE: John Hevesy^
Defensive coordinator/LB: Todd Grantham*
Special teams coordinator: TBD

Quarterbacks coach: TBD
Running backs coach: Ja’Juan Seider
Offensive line coach: Brad Davis^
Tight ends coach: TBD
Defensive line coach: Chris Rumph
Linebackers coach: Tim Skipper*
Secondary coach: TBD

^ Hevesy coached offensive line at MSU but previously coached tight ends in his prior tenure at Florida. Mullen will have to decide whether he wants to keep Davis or hire a tight ends coach.
* Grantham coached linebackers at MSU. Mullen will have to decide whether he wants to keep Grantham coaching the position, keep Skipper (either at linebackers or secondary) or hire a new coach.

There will be 10 on-field assistant coaching spots for the first time per amended NCAA rules. If Mullen keeps his staff as it stands now, he would have seven of those 10 spots filled with obvious holes at quarterbacks and secondary. He could also split up duties along the offensive line, defensive line and/or secondary. It should be noted that none of the McElwain retention appear on Mullen’s coaching staff list on the UF website.

It is expected that Mississippi State strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage, a former assistant under ex-Florida strength coach Mickey Marotti, will follow Mullen to the Gators. Lee Begley has joined the program out of MSU as director of recruiting operations. OnlyGators.com learned that Mullen has decided to replace assistant athletic director of football operations George Wynn, who has been with the team since Will Muschamp took over. Director of player development Kevin Barbay announced that he was not longer with the Gators.

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