Gators set to hire Auburn DC Ron Roberts to coaching staff
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida is set to hire Auburn DC Ron Roberts as executive head coach for defense, co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, Gators Online can confirm.
Roberts, 56, has deep ties to UF coach Billy Napier; he was defensive coordinator at Louisiana from 2018-19. Of note, Roberts also is linked to Florida defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong, who worked with him as a defensive graduate assistant at Louisiana in 2018.
Roberts was defensive coordinator at Baylor from 2020-22 before he landed at Auburn. Last season, Roberts’ defense often was the strength of the team. The Tigers finished 45th in total defense nationally as they allowed 357.2 yards a game. Auburn was 97th (395.3) the previous year.
Under Robinson’s leadership at Louisiana, the Ragin’ Cajuns led the Sun Belt Conference and ranked 18th nationally in scoring defense in 2019 allowing only 19.7 points per game, an improvement of 87 spots in the rankings and a difference of 14.5 ppg.
Overall, UL finished second in the Sun Belt in total defense (371.8 ypg) and had the league’s top red zone defense (51.16 percent) with only 22 touchdowns allowed in 43 attempts. His unit held opponents to a Sun Belt-leading 197.7 passing yards per game, which ranked 21st nationally.
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Roberts also has 11 years of head coaching experience at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana.
Ron Roberts completes staff
The hire of Roberts will complete the openings on Florida’s coaching staff. Napier hired secondary coach Will Harris and defensive line coach Gerald Chatman along with a new head strength coach, Craig Fitzgerald, and team nutritionist, Jake Sankal, and Texas A&M’s Mark Robinson in a front-office role.
Following the 2023 season, Napier indicated that he would be evaluating his organization and making staff changes.
“Look, we have work to do,” he said after the FSU game. “Ultimately as a staff, we have to evaluate where we’re at from top to bottom, every inch of what we do, and we have to work hard to try to position the players and do better. I think that’s what I’m consumed with. That’s my purpose, and that’s the way I view my platform opportunity.
“We’re in the process of rebuilding the roster. We’re in the process of learning how to make it work at the University of Florida. Listen, there are things that without question I think that we can do better. I think we made some adjustments year one to year two. We need to continue to make adjustments. Look, I think this is a very fluid dynamic relative to what we’re trying to create and build here.”
