A source inside the Florida Gators football program confirmed to OGGOA Wednesday afternoon that offensive coordinator Steve Addazio has been hired by the Temple Owls to be the team’s next head coach.
Addazio, who interviewed for the position on Monday, struggled over the last two seasons as Florida’s offensive coordinator but is considered a terrific position coach, recruiter and motivator who always does his best to get maximum effort from his players.
He was named ESPNU’s recruiter of the year due to the major part he played in helping corral the Gators’ top-ranked 2010 recruiting class and served as interim head coach for Urban Meyer after he briefly stepped down and then during his recovery last year. Addazio replaced Meyer at numerous public speaking engagements and helped fill in the coaching staff with new hires after it was ravaged by departures when former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong accepted the Louisville head coaching position.
Addazio has coached in college since 1995. He served as offensive coordinator at Indiana from 2002-04 before being plucked away by Meyer to coach the offensive line and tight ends at Florida, a role he held for two years. Meyer promoted Addazio to assistant head coach from 2007-08 and then to offensive coordinator after Dan Mullen left to take the top job with Mississippi State before the 2009 season.
Much maligned by Gators fans for his tenure as the team’s playcaller, Addazio’s future with Florida appeared bleak with Meyer stepping down and new head coach Will Muschamp looking for an offensive coordinator with both college and NFL experience.
He is the ninth assistant coach under Meyer who has gone on to become a Division I head coach following in the footsteps of Gregg Brandon (Bowling Green), Kyle Whittingham (Utah), Mike Sanford (UNLV), Tim Beckham (Toledo), Mullen, Doc Holliday (Marshall), Strong and Dan McCarney (North Texas).
Signing a five-year deal at Temple, he will replace head coach Al Golden, who recently left to accept the same job with the Miami Hurricanes.
A press conference will be held in Philadelphia, PA, on Thursday though Addazio is expected to coordinate the Gators’ offense in the 2011 Outback Bowl.
This story was first reported by the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
I still wonder why our new OC needs NFL experience.
Anyway, good luck to Steve. I think when he’s not calling plays, he just might have what it takes to be a pretty successful head coach.
Best wishes to him and his family…obviously things at UF went sour in the last year but he still did a lot of great things for our program
Thank you Steve Addazio. Best thing you have done for the Gators in over 2 years. Good luck at Temple.
Congrats to Steve. I don’t agree with his play calling and Meyer’s decision to have him be the OC and OL coach, but he is a good recruiter, a good coach, and a good man. I’ll be routing for Temple.
Good for Addazio, I wish him the best of luck at Temple.
Good for him. The guy’s a class act. Makes me wonder if some of the recruits that met with Muschamp this weekend knew that he was leaving. He was directly recruiting two of the three that left correct?
I think a lot of guys will say good riddance but that’s not fair. I think this is a good ending for Addazio and the Gator Nation. It’s unfortunately for us, likely going to have an immediate impact on recruiting for certain.
Hopefully he takes this weak OL talent with him. I’m not fond of Hounshell or Jordan at all. Poor Driskel
He wants to create NFL players to get better recruits. It would have benefit tebow if he had someone show him what NFL wanted him to do
They can have addazio he’s going to be fired by his 5th year. He hurt tebow his last year and brantley messed it up totally
I mean whatever happened to Josue Matias and Cameron Clear. We could use those guys. As long as we finish in the top 10 in recruiting, pick up an elite Safety, a couple elite LBs. and land Pomee or Benjamin at WR we should be fine. FSU cannot match out talent from last years class and if this is a down year for us in recruiting that so be it. I have all aith that Muschamp will put the best coaching staff in America together
Good luck to you young fellow. You’ve done nothing but handle yourself with class and dignity this season. We all know you will continue what Coach Golden has started at Temple.
Good luck at Temple Steve. Hopefully it works out well for you both.
Adam (if you’re out there), with Addazio taking the job at
Temple, have you heard anything more about Muschamp moving more
rapidly to fill the O.C. vacancy? Doesn’t seem like he’d be
stepping on anyone’s toes since Addazio has a new home. He was
pretty specific about what he’s looking for and his timetable. If
it wasn’t to avoid stepping on the existing staff’s toes, you have
to wonder if he’s waiting until after the bowls because the coach
he’s targeting a coach, that’s coaching for a bowl team.
Tim- Unfortunately, I have nothing for you right now. I’d expect offensive and defensive coordinators to be named by Jan. 3.
Congrats Coach Addazio, I wish him the best of luck at Temple.
Congratulations to you Coach, and I love seeing the positive posts I’ve read here in regard to Steve Addazio. From what I’ve read, heard, and seen of the man, he deserves our respect and our gratitude forever. Unfortunately, some will spew venom for his inability to impersonate Dan Mullen, which indeed was his undoing. That said, I welcome the move as a Gator football fan. Watching our offense this year was painful at times. More times than not in fact, but all of that doesn’t fall on Addazio. There was a lot of blame that can be doled out to a lot of areas, but it is what it is. Change is on the horizon, and the train will roll once again. I’m jacked up about the future and I think Foley made the right hire in Muschamp. Hopefully, we finish strong on Jan. 1st, and send Urbie out the way he deserves to be sent out, riding on the shoulders of Gator players celebrating a bowl win. After that, we turn the page and move toward our new and unwritten future. Can’t wait.
GO GATORS!!!
Good luck Steve, thanks for your hard work over your career here. Being an (interim) head coach at UF was above your experience, but hopefully you learned a lot and will succeed at Temple.
Unsolicited advice: As a head coach it is absolutely critical to remain credible to the fans. Positive energy is great and all but you have to remain realistic. You will always have to have an answer, you can’t just look at the fans and media as though they’re idiots asking stupid questions. Hopefully that will be easier at Temple.
Why is he staying through the bowl game? We should let him get a head start at Temple. Sounds like that would be a win-win
best of luck to CSA. guy was a great recruiter. hope he does well
good luck steve! tough year last year but many thanks for your service to our university and the football team!
This guy gave you one good year (2009), however this year
you had the new qb and you had a lame duck coach who just wanted
out. Yet you blame Coach Addazio. Does’t make any sense to
me.
Oh Captain, Dive Captain! Good luck Steve.
Great news for the Gators. Maybe Brantley will
transfer.
Tony – Harsh!:(
He will do a great job at Temple. Gator Nation brutalized
him …. Wish only for the best for him. Gator fans have major
issues. Not a lot of joy down here Mike
Bu bye , glad to see ur moving on