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Ron Roberts’ new job title at the University of Florida is — take a deep breath — “Executive Head Coach, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers.”
It could just as easily be “Dissectologist.”
That’s the term for people whose hobby is putting together jigsaw puzzles. Roberts has the same passion when it comes to a particular sport.
“I’m a football junkie. That is my hobby. That is my everything else,” he said. “I don’t golf, I don’t fish. You know what I mean?”
Good thing. His latest task will be like assembling a 10,000-piece puzzle that’s been missing a bunch of pieces.
That would be Florida’s defense, which was last spotted here around 2019. Among the missing pieces have been tackling, interceptions, pressure, players, confidence, communication, cohesion and coaching.
All that cost defensive coordinator Todd Grantham his job in 2021, and Dan Mullen followed a couple of weeks later. Now it poses an existential threat to Billy Napier.
That’s why he hired Roberts to try to solve the puzzle. To which you might ask, didn’t Napier hire Austin Armstrong as defensive coordinator just last year?
Yes, and Armstrong still holds that job. It’s just that now he shares it with Roberts.
“Austin’s running the unit meetings,” Napier said, “and Ron’s doing a good job of creating clarity for the coaches and really helping us to improve the fundamentals.”
Translation: Armstrong needed help.
In retrospect, it might not have been the wisest move to hire a 29-year-old to lead an inexperienced defense. That’s not to say things like allowing 701 yards to LSU was all Armstrong’s fault, but there was obvious staff dysfunction.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/roberts-rescue-florida-football-sure-080219674.html
Author : The Gainesville Sun
Publish date : 2024-03-11 08:02:19
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