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Florida Director of Scouting Joe Hamilton leaving Gators for Texas A&M

Untitled designby: Nick de la Torre02/28/24delatorre
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Photo courtesy of UAA Communications

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators are losing a key off-field staffer in Director of Scouting & Recruiting Relations/NFL Liaison Joe Hamilton. Hamilton was recently promoted to the role of Director of scouting after a change in roles for several off-field staff. Hamilton, a native of Thomasville, Texas, will return back to his home state. Brandon Howard was the first to report.

Hamilton joined the Florida staff as a personnel analyst for the defense in December of 2021. He made his way to The  Swamp after three seasons (2019-21) with Napier at Louisiana in the role of quality control: player personnel/recruiting. He helped the program land the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt for three consecutive years (2019-21) and two-time conference champion in 2020 and 2021.

Hamilton just completed his second season with the Gators. He joined the Gators in 2022 as a personnel analyst and was promoted by Head Coach Billy Napier to assistant director of player personnel / pro liaison prior to the 2023 season.

The promotion came alongside a promotion for director of player personnel Jacob LaFrance to General Manager. He also promoted personnel analysts Nick McDonald to Assistant Director of Player Personnel.

“Jacob LaFrance is going to kind of take a leadership role and be the general manager,” Napier said. “And then Nick McDonald’s the DPP. Joe Hamilton is going to be the director of scouting and recruiting relations and handle the NFL side.”

He joined Florida after three seasons (2019-21) with Napier at Louisiana in the role of quality control: player personnel/recruiting. He helped the program land the No. 1 recruiting class in the Sun Belt for three consecutive years (2019-21) and two-time conference champion in 2020 and 2021.

Hamilton also had a close relationship with five-start quarterback D.J. Lagway.

Lagway and his father both had high praise for Hamilton. In addition to Florida coach Billy Napier and offensive analyst Ryan O’Hara, Hamilton was instrumental in Lagway’s commitment.

“That’s the man right there. Coach Joe is the man,” Lagway said. “I talk to him on a daily.”

“Joe Hamilton, I don’t even know where to start at,” his father added. “I’m gonna be honest with you, he’s one of the reasons why DJ is going to Florida. We spent plenty of nights talking on the phone. He’s an awesome guy. You can’t get any better than Joe Hamilton.”

Hamilton graduated from Texas Southern in 2017 with a bachelor of science in sports management.

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