UF co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison will leave college football for the first time in 32 years to be the Baltimore Ravens' linebackers coach in what he called the toughest decision of his life.
"I think the world of the University of Florida, [Athletics Director] Jeremy Foley and Urban [Meyer]; they're class acts," said Mattison, 58, who joined Meyer's original staff at UF in 2005. "When you're a college coach, and you coach as long as I have in college, you always have thoughts about the NFL. … The thing that made it so hard was I was at one of the greatest jobs in America here at the University of Florida. I always said that if I was going to go the NFL, it would have to be a perfect situation."
Mattison is close friends with first-year Ravens coach John Harbaugh and has worked with multiple coaches on Harbaugh's staff.
Baltimore came after Mattison once in the past, but he refused the offer.
He accepted a second, reportedly more lucrative deal late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Mattison, whom former players have described as a father figure, mentor and one-in-a-million coach, contacted former, current and future Gators before making his decision public.
"He said he wanted to see what the NFL was like," said former UF defensive lineman Ray McDonald, who now plays for the San Francisco 49ers. "This is his chance to do it. He said he wanted to do it now and not later. He'll be a good coach in the NFL. That's one of the reasons why I think he did it, because I know he's going to be a good coach there."
Mattison's replacement coaching the defensive line is former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney, who joined the Gators' staff on Friday.
Meyer first called McCarney on Thursday, offered him a job that night and had McCarney locked up the next morning before Mattison made his decision to leave.
"It happened real fast," said McCarney, who coached the defensive line at South Florida in 2007.
"I'm really looking forward to it," McCarney said. "Florida is one of the great programs in all of America."
Meyer has two more vacancies to fill, replacing safeties coach John "Doc" Holliday and running backs coach Stan Drayton, who left for West Virginia and Tennessee, respectively.
McCarney said he expects those positions to be filled this week.
Mattison's spot is now in Baltimore, working with former Miami Dolphins coach Cam Cameron and coaching All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis, but he made it clear just how much he will miss UF.
"When you have coached at a number of great places, like I've had the opportunity to do, you always wonder which one you will remember," Mattison said. "If this is the last college place I'm going to be at, how will it stack up? I can honestly say the University of Florida will always be my favorite place. I will always look at myself as being a Gator."
