With the Florida coaching staff in disarray, Urban Meyer and interim head coach Steve Addazio turned to old friends to steady the boat.
To replace the four assistants gone from last year’s team, the Gators brought in Teryl Austin (defensive coordinator), Stan Drayton (running backs), Zach Azzanni (receivers) and D.J. Durkin, four coaches who have served with Meyer or Addazio in the past.
And they will be counted on to keep things running smoothly while Meyer is on his indefinite leave of absence.
“We’re a small fraternity of people who have crossed paths,” Drayton said. “There’s a bloodline somewhere along the way where these guys have worked with each other before.
“We all know each other, and we’re cut from the same cloth with the way we approach our kids, football and our families.”
Durkin and Azzanni served under Meyer at Bowling Green, and Austin worked alongside Addazio at Syracuse more than 10 years ago.
That connection led to Austin taking over for George Edwards, who left UF for the Buffalo Bills just three weeks after accepting the Gators’ defensive coordinator job.
Austin joked about his predecessor’s brief tenure at a press conference Wednesday, saying, “Yeah, I’ve got to go,” and turning away from the lectern as soon as Edwards’ name was brought up.
Austin and Durkin still don’t have clearly defined roles, as which positions they handle will depend on Florida’s hiring of graduate assistants.
Durkin said he will be involved with coaching the special teams for the Gators, a sign that Meyer will likely lessen his duties this season, like Meyer said he would.
Drayton is the team’s new recruiting coordinator, and he said Dade County and the Orlando area will be his main regions of focus.
Drayton has the strongest ties to the Gators’ program, as he held the same position at UF from 2005-07 before leaving for Tennessee, then spending a year at Syracuse.
His departure was less than amicable.
Heading to a Southeastern Conference rival didn’t sit well with Meyer, and Drayton later complained about the way running backs were used in Meyer’s offense.
Drayton said he and Meyer patched things up, but the phone call offering his old job wasn’t expected.
“I would be lying to you if I said I wasn’t surprised,” Drayton said. “But we’re grown men. All that stuff was really blown out of proportion. The respect we had for each other was never compromised.”
Drayton’s return likely means more playing time for running back Emmanuel Moody, who transferred to UF from USC in large part to work with the coach.
Drayton praised Moody on Wednesday for the more physical style he showed last season.
The running backs coach added that Chris Rainey will split time between running back and receiver, taking over the role Percy Harvin played in Florida’s offense.
“How can you not take advantage of what Chris Rainey can do all over the field? We’re definitely going to tap into that,” Drayton said.
