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Florida football has agreed to terms with former New England Patriots assistant special teams coach Joe Houston as a senior special teams analyst.
Houston worked with the Patriots from 2020-23. Prior to that, Houston spent three seasons as a coach at Iowa State (2016-19), which included a one-year stint as special teams coordinator.
With the Florida Gators, Houston will work with incumbent special teams analyst Chris Couch on both special teams and situational football.
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The duo will look to turn around a special teams unit that struggled during Billy Napier’s two-year tenure. Florida has averaged one special teams penalty per game in 2022 and 2023 with 24 total. In addition, place-kickers Adam Mihalek and Trey Smack have gone a combined 32 for 45 over the last two seasons, with Smack missing a 42-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation that could have won a game against Arkanasas.
Florida has yet to record a punt or kickoff return for a touchdown in two seasons under Napier.
A Redondo Beach, Calif., native, Houston was a former kicker at USC from 2007-10. He began his coaching career in 2012 at El Camino (Calif.) College, coaching special teams and secondary. After coaching at El Camino from 2012-14, Houston spent one season as a quality control coach at Toledo before moving on to Iowa State.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida Gators football hires senior special teams analyst
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/florida-football-hires-analyst-augment-215005449.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-01-28 21:50:05
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