Billy Napier reveals what Corey Raymond brings to Florida

Spring practices are officially underway in Gainesville, meaning that the Billy Napier era is in full swing. The former head coach at Louisiana who replaced Dan Mullen at Florida, Napier is tasked with rebuilding the Gators’ football program – and he’s been doing all the right things since he was hired.

While Napier has hired some top-tier coaches and landed some key transfers out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, the coach is now working hard to put everything together – and he’s doing so with the help of his coaching staff.

As Napier’s staff features some coaches that have had much success over the years, one of the coach’s main assistants is Corey Raymond – a former LSU cornerback who is now the Gators’ cornerbacks coach and assistant head coach for defense. After spending 10 years on the staff at LSU, Raymond is now helping Napier build Florida’s program.

Meeting with reporters on Tuesday, Napier was asked about Raymond and what he brings to the team – and the head coach had plenty to say.

“I think he’s a professional,” Napier said of Raymond. “He’s been through some battles, right? He’s played in the big games, he’s coached in the big games. He’s a guy that there’s just a certain level of wisdom and experience when it comes to coaching players when you’ve been through it before. You’ve seen a lot of players evolve throughout your career, so there’s no panic there.

“He’s kind of a smooth veteran that knows what he’s doing. He’s confident in his process – and I certainly appreciate that. He’s the assistant head coach for defense, and I think he brings some presence over there. I know the players respect him because he’s very good at what he does.”

After a successful run at LSU, Raymond is now a part of a Florida team that went 6-6 during the 2021 regular season – and he’s hopeful he can help get the Gators back on track.