Tim Tebow’s struggle to impress NFL could hurt Gators in recruiting

Obviously not part of the preparation is Florida head coach Urban Meyer. In four years under Meyer, Tebow said he’d “never been asked to shorten or quicken my release and not have a loop in it.” You will hear some argue that Meyer is to blame for not doing a better job preparing Tebow for the NFL. But the truth is that Meyer’s only responsibility was to win games for his employer, the University of Florida. And he certainly did that. There is a lesson here, however, for young quarterbacks who envision themselves having the chance to play in the NFL one day: look around for a coach who runs an NFL-style offense, and coaches quarterbacks to play with NFL-style mechanics. – Birmingham News

Gators set to hire Teryl Austin

I’ve been told UF has come to terms with Arizona Cardinals defensive backs coach Teryl Austin, so the last step is an official announcement from the school. The Gators were leaning toward Austin for the last three days and this was going to happen, but a deal wasn’t officially done as of last night. Miami linebackers coach Micheal Barrow and Clemson co-defensive coordinator Charlie Harbison also were candidates this week, but both are staying at their respective schools. Austin will take over for George Edwards, who bolted for the Buffalo Bills after 27 days on the job. The original defensive coordinator, Charlie Strong, is Louisville’s head coach. Austin coached the Cardinals’ defensive backs the last three seasons. He held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks from 2003-06, which means he’s coached in two Super Bowls. His college resume includes stints at Michigan, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Penn State. – Orlando Sentinel

Charlie Harbison turns down Florida, will stay at Clemson

UPDATE: Football Rumor Mill can confirm that Charlie Harbison has removed his name from consideration and is no longer a candidate for the DC job at Florida.

So much for Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney easing back into work following vacation. A day after arriving back from skiing in Colorado, Swinney met with defensive backs coach Charlie Harbison on Wednesday. Harbison has been contacted by Florida, which is interested in him as a candidate to fill its vacant defensive coordinator position. – Charleston Post and Courier

Bills hire Gators’ DC

Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey has been filling his coaching staff with college and pro assistants but he dipped into the college ranks to find a defensive coordinator with NFL experience. Gailey has hired George Edwards as the Bills defensive coordinator. Edwards replaced Charlie Strong as the defensive coordinator at Florida on Jan. 10. He comes to the Bills, though, with more than a decade of NFL experience. Edwards coached the defensive line for the Dallas Cowboys in 1997 before moving to the Washington Redskins from 1998-2002 to coach the same position. He was the Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator in 2003. He coached linebackers for the Miami Dolphins in 2004 before accepting the linebacker job at Florida from 2005-09. – ESPN.com

Florida assistants headed to Louisville?

On the day he was introduced as Louisville’s new head coach, former Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said he would not raid Urban Meyer’s staff. Three weeks later, two Meyer assistants are on the verge of joining Strong’s staff. Cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford has been offered the defensive coordinator’s position with the Cardinals. He was in South Florida recruiting for the Gators on Monday, but he is expected to make his decision to leave official later in the week. Running backs coach Kenny Carter, who dodged questions about his interest in Louisville after the Sugar Bowl last Friday, has been offered the running backs coach position at Louisville. He is expected to reach a decision on whether to take the job or stay at Florida by the weekend, Strong told The Sun on Monday night. Rivals.com reported Monday night that UF commitment Mack Brown, a top running back from Georgia, said Carter had told him he was leaving the UF staff. – Gainesville Sun

Urban Meyer denies Tyrone Nix turned down Gators

Urban Meyer hasn’t had to act as quickly in replacing Charlie Strong as defensive coordinator because Strong — as first reported in The Sun — will coach the defense in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1 vs. No. 4 Cincinnati (12-0) before returning to Louisville. Meyer denied reports Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix was offered the job and turned it down. “I talked to Tyrone. I’ve known Tyrone for a long time,” Meyer said. “But we would have had to change our whole defense if we hired him. We would have had to change everything our players are doing, and we didn’t want to do that. “I’m going to take my time with that hire.” – Gainesville Sun

Charlie Strong to be named new Louisville football coach

University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich hopes to make Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong the Cardinals’ next head football coach Wednesday afternoon. Jurich said Tuesday night that he and his wife, Terrilynn, are flying to Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday morning to put the finishing touches on a contract with Strong. No news conference had been announced as of last night, but the personnel committee of the UofL Athletic Association board of directors, which approves such hires, scheduled a 3:30 p.m. Wednesday meeting. – Courier-Journal

Charlie Strong Leads Louisville Search

If Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong wants to become the next head football coach at the University of Louisville, it’s his job to lose, sources with knowledge of the situation said Wednesday. Strong is identified as the No.1 target to replace Steve Kragthorpe, who was fired after three seasons Saturday. Sources say UofL athletic director Tom Jurich plans to call Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley following Saturday’s Southeastern Conference Championship Game between the Gators and Alabama to request permission to interview Strong. A discussion could take place as early as Sunday. – Louisville Courier-Journal

Charlie Strong leads Louisville’s list

Florida defensive coordinator Charlie Strong has emerged as the leading candidate for the Louisville head-coaching job, multiple sources have told ESPN.com. Cardinals athletic director Tom Jurich has had no contact yet with Strong, sources said. Jurich told his counterpart at Florida, Jeremy Foley, that he will not interfere with the Gators’ preparations for the SEC championship game Saturday against Alabama. However, shortly after that game is over, Jurich is expected to contact Strong, and an interview could take place as early as Sunday. Jurich is expected to spend time this week traveling to do research on other prospective candidates for the job, but Strong is the clear front-runner according to multiple sources. Others who have expressed interest in the Louisville job include Central Michigan coach Butch Jones and former Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer. Sources said Fulmer had a telephone discussion with Jurich Tuesday to discuss the job, but he is not considered a prime candidate for the position. – ESPN.com

Urban Meyer: Charlie Strong perfect for Louisville job

Urban Meyer said Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong, whose name has been heavily speculated as a candidate for U of L’s vacancy, possesses the right qualities to be a head coach. Jurich emphasized “character and integrity” as traits he’s seeking in a replacement for Steve Kragthorpe, who was fired Saturday following the Cards’ 4-8 season. “A lot of times you may not be the best schematic coach, which I think (Strong is) very good, but the thing that makes Charlie such a special guy is the fact that he has impeccable character and is a great leader,” said Meyer, who spoke in general terms, not about the U of L job specifically. – Courier-Journal

Next Page »