Florida tabs veteran SEC coach McGriff to educate secondary

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida introduced the hiring of Wesley McGriff as its secondary coach Saturday, changing two assistants coach Dan Mullen fired after the workforce’s worst defensive season in additional than 100 years.

Mullen parted methods with secondary coaches Ron English and Torrian Grey final week.

”His monitor report of making ready gamers for the NFL and his success teaching at each stage speaks for itself,” Mullen mentioned in an announcement. ”His vitality and tireless effort in recruiting will probably be an asset to our defensive workers.”

McGriff spent the final two seasons as defensive backs coach at Auburn. Earlier than that, he was defensive coordinator at Mississippi (2016-18).

He had earlier stints at Auburn (2015) and Ole Miss (2012). He additionally frolicked with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints (2013-15), Vanderbilt (2011), Miami (2007-10), Baylor (2003-06), Kentucky (2001-02), Japanese Kentucky (2000), Kentucky State (1995-99) and Savannah State (1990-94).

The Tenth-ranked Gators (8-4) allowed 30.8 factors a recreation in 2020, their most since giving up 41.2 over six video games in 1917, and the secondary was a big a part of the issue.

English coached Florida’s safeties the previous three seasons, and Grey coached cornerbacks the final two.

Florida surrendered 52 and 55 factors, respectively, in consecutive losses to top-ranked Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma to shut out the yr. The Sooners racked up a whopping 684 yards – probably the most any workforce has ever gained in opposition to Florida – within the Cotton Bowl. Florida’s earlier excessive was 629 yards in a 62-24 loss to Nebraska within the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.

It was the third time this season that Florida’s porous protection surrendered greater than 600 yards. The unit allowed 613 within the opener at Ole Miss and 605 to the Crimson Tide within the Southeastern Convention championship recreation.

The protection yielded 35 or extra factors in half of its 12 video games, twice as many instances because it did throughout defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s first two seasons in Gainesville. The unit ended with consecutive 50-point outings, the primary time Florida had completed that in back-to-back video games since 1917.

Extra AP school soccer: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25



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