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Gators lose their third assistant to NFL in WR coach Keary Colbert

On3 imageby: Zach Abolverdi02/23/23ZachAbolverdi
On3 image
Florida receivers coach Keary Colbert. (Isabella Marley/UAA Communications).

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida has lost its third assistant to the NFL in two days. Wide receivers coach Keary Colbert will be joining the Denver Broncos in the same role, Gators Online has learned.

The news was first reported by On3’s Matt Zenitz on Thursday. Colbert, a former NFL wide receiver who one season with the Broncos, worked at USC prior to joining Florida’s coaching staff.

The Gators also lost co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Patrick Toney and tight ends coach William Peagler — both to the Arizona Cardinals — on Wednesday.

On3’s Matt Zenitz has reported that Alabama assistant Austin Armstrong is leaving the Crimson Tide coaching staff and taking the defensive coordinator job at Florida.

In an exclusive interview Wednesday with Gators Online, Napier said his new coordinator — though he did not name Armstrong — would start of spring practice on March 4.

“I think part of our job is always having contingency plans in place, knowing what the next move is. So, one thing is we’re system oriented and we’ll continue to have direction,” Napier said. “We’re fortunate we’ve got a great group of assistants and we’ve got it built the right way where we can manage attrition. We’ve always lost 4-8 people every year. The timing is not great (on Toney), but it is what it is.”

Keary Colbert was a four-year starter at Southern Cal (2000-03), where he ranks in the top 10 for most career receptions (207) and career receiving yards (2,964) in program history.

He then competed at the highest level for the Carolina Panthers (2004-07), Denver Broncos (2008), Seattle Seahawks (2008), Detroit Lions (2008-09) and Kansas City Chiefs (2011).

Colbert served as the Georgia State receivers coach in 2013 before spending two years as an offensive analyst on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, where he worked under the Crimson Tide’s receivers coach at the time — Billy Napier. He spent six seasons at USC, including the last four as a position coach, before reuniting with Napier in Gainesville.

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