Though head coach Dan Mullen has gone through a quiet offeseason when it comes to his coaching staff with the Florida Gators bringing back the same group of coaches they used a year ago, it appears as if there will be a new face in the facility soon. Veteran defensive coach Paul Pasqualoni, who has previously served as head coach at Syracuse (1991-2004) and UConn (2011-13), is expected to join the Gators as a special assistant to Mullen, according to Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel.
Pasqualoni, 70, comes off a two-year stint as defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. He had been a defensive line coach for the Chicago Bears (2014), Houston Texans (2015) and at Boston College (2016-17) after his tenure at UConn came to a close. He also spent two seasons as the Miami Dolphins’ defensive coordinator (2008-09) and four years in various roles with the Dallas Cowboys (2005-07, 2010). In all, Pasqualoni has been coaching football uninterrupted since 1972.
His role at Florida will be in an off-field capacity, and it will reunite him with Mullen, who was his graduate assistant at Syracuse in 1998. Pasqualoni will help “the offensive staff break down opposing defenses” while taking a “macro view” of the program alongside Mullen, according to Thamel.
The fact that the Gators are hiring Pasqualoni may speak positively toward the University Athletic Association’s financial situation. During a time where athletic departments across the country are canceling sports and asking their coaches to take temporary salary cuts, Florida has done neither while simultaneously adding to Mullen’s staff.