Report: Jay Bateman will round out Florida Gators coaching staff
Billy Napier’s inaugural staff with the Florida Gators is complete.
According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, North Carolina Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Jay Bateman will join the Gators.
Bateman, 48, began his coaching career at Benedictine High School in 1995. He spent three years there before moving to the college level at Hampden-Sydney as a graduate assistant. Bateman was named Siena’s defensive coordinator in 1999, then was promoted to head coach in 2000. He remained in that role until 2003. At the time of his promotion, he was said to be the youngest head coach in Division I football at 26 years old.
Bateman bounced around from Richmond, Leigh, Elon, and then Ball State before being named the defensive coordinator at Army. In his tenure with Army, he improved the Black Knights defense from 91st overall in 2014 to 8th in the country in 2018. He spent five seasons at Army before joining Mack Brown at North Carolina.
Bateman’s units didn’t have great success in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels’ defensive efficiency rankings dropped in each of his three seasons.
2019: 68th
2020: 76th
2021: 99th
Bateman won’t hold a coordinator tag, according to the report.
Bateman finishes off Napier’s first staff
With the addition of Bateman, the Gators’ have 10 on-field assistant coaches.
On the defensive side of the ball, Patrick Toney will hold a co-defensive coordinator title and coach safeties. Newly hired defensive line coach Sean Spencer will also be a co-defensive coordinator. Corey Raymond will coach cornerbacks. Mike Peterson and Bateman will tag-team the linebacker. Peterson — a Gator legend — will coach outside linebackers while Bateman will coach the inside linebackers.
On offense, Billy Napier will call plays and coach the quarterbacks. Rob Sale will hold the title of offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Darnell Stapleton will assist with the offensive line. Keary Colbert will coach receivers. Jabbar Juluke will coach running backs and William Peagler will coach tight ends.
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier celebrates with Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11) after a touchdown during the first half at the Orange and Blue spring football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/13155133/Untitled-design-65-2.png)
