The “Godfather” of Gainesville’s current defensive scheme officially arrived on campus this offseason.
Following the departure of linebackers coach Jay.
Bateman was hired as Mike Elko’s defensive coordinator at Texas A&M in his first season at College Station, and Florida began looking for a suitable successor.
Notable candidates to fill the void were DJ Durkin, Jamar Chaney, Mark Ivey, Chris Partridge, and George Helow. However, none of the veteran helpers were chosen.
Instead, Napier, like he has done repeatedly during his time at UF, chose the conventional way. Florida hired Ron Roberts, a former Auburn defensive coordinator who previously worked with Napier at Louisiana-Lafayette from 2018-19. Roberts will lead the Gators’ inside linebackers and also serve as executive head coach and co-defensive coordinator.
On Wednesday, Napier praised Roberts’ 30-plus-year resume, providing insight into the reconnection and how it benefits Florida’s defensive staff, particularly defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong.
“It’s phenomenal,” Napier said of the new addition. “Think about Ron Roberts and what he brings to the table: he’s a veteran coach who has served as a head coach, coordinator, and play-caller.
“We went and we were able to get one of the better defensive coaches in the country back on our staff.”
Although Roberts has never coached in Gainesville before, his fingerprints are all over the current operation at the University of Florida.
He is credited with developing the unit’s current defensive strategy, which was passed down from Roberts to Patrick Toney — the Gators’ coordinator in 2022 — and Armstrong (2023), both of whom served under Roberts at UL.
“I think it’s a positive because the system that we run, Ron started that system at Louisiana,” he said.
“The first two years we were there, we basically had it up and running. It has evolved, and the people in charge have previously worked for him. So I believe it was either Patrick Toney, who took over and is now in the National Football League, or Austin… They call him the OG, Godfather, or anything you want to name him. We get him back in the building, and he’s going to help us and the guys improve.”
