With five key contributors set to graduate, Florida’s defensive line is facing a major overhaul before next season.
That task just got a lot tougher.
Dan McCarney left his position as the Gators’ defensive line coach Tuesday to take over as the head coach at North Texas, where he’ll try to resurrect a program that hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 2004.
“I am truly honored and humbled to accept this position as the head coach at the University of North Texas,” McCarney said at his introduction. “The ability to help start a new chapter in this tremendously proud program is exciting and I am looking forward to returning it to a championship level.
“I will pour my heart and soul into this job, and I will wake up every morning and go to bed each night proud to be a member of the Mean Green family.”
McCarney served as Iowa State’s head coach from 1995-2006, and he’s the eighth assistant to leave Urban Meyer’s side to become a head coach.
“I’m happy for coach McCarney and his family,” Meyer said.
“He has a proven track record as a head coach, and we were fortunate to have him on our staff for the last three years. He did a great job with our defensive line, and I fully expect him to be successful at North Texas.”
While McCarney tries to rebuild at North Texas, his successor at UF will face a similar challenge.
The Gators will lose starting defensive ends Justin Trattou and Duke Lemmens to graduation, and defensive tackles Lawrence Marsh, Terron Sanders and Brandon Antwine are also headed out the door after the bowl game.
Omar Hunter and Jaye Howard are expected to return at tackle, but their backups and the ends will be lacking in experience.
McCarney helped bring in a 2010 defensive line recruiting class that was hyped as one of the best ever, including Rivals.com’s top-rated defensive end (Ronald Powell) and top two defensive tackles (Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley).
Powell and Floyd, who have combined for 45 tackles this year, were the only ones to earn regular playing time this season, and they’ll have to make a leap to reliable starters next year without McCarney.
And his departure has already started to have an effect on this year’s recruiting class, as Asheville (N.C.) High defensive end Jeoffrey Pagan — rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com — rescinded his oral commitment to Florida and cited McCarney leaving as a reason why.
