McCarney leaves Florida for top job at North Texas

Florida Gators assistant head coach, defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney has accepted an offer to become head coach of the North Texas Mean Green, according to ESPN’s Joe Schad.

McCarney, who has coached at Florida since 2008, will be taking the reins of a program for only the second time in his 33-year coaching career.

After starring as an offensive lineman at Iowa from 1972-74, McCarney became an assistant coach at the school from 1977-89. He later moved on to Wisconsin to be a defensive coordinator and coach the defensive line from 1990-94 before being the head coach of Iowa State for over a decade from 1995-2007. Though he took Iowa State to five bowl games and had his best years from 2004-05, McCarney was let go after a 4-8 season in 2006. He coached the defensive line for South Florida in 2007 before Florida head coach Urban Meyer brought him on staff the following season.

He is the fifth coach to leave the Gators since last year and eighth since the season they won the 2009 BCS National Championship.

ESPN reports that McCarney’s salary will be “in the mid-six figures” and is a “significant jump” over what the previous head coach was paid.

Though multiple sources are reporting that an agreement has been reached between the two parties, Meyer denied knowledge of the situation after the game on Saturday. “No, not that I know of,” Meyer said. “I have not been made aware of that.”

In addition to being located in the talent-rich state of Texas, North Texas will be cracking the seal on a brand new $78 million stadium next season. The Mean Green went 3-9 (3-5) in regular season competition this year.

UPDATE: “I’m happy for Coach McCarney and his family,” Meyer said in a statement released by UF on Nov 30. “He has a proven track record as a head coach and we were fortunate to have him on our staff for the last three years. He did a great job with our defensive line and I fully expect him to be successful at North Texas.”