With less than two weeks to go before spring training begins, Florida head coach Billy Napier is looking for a new defensive coordinator, with Patrick Toney moving to the Arizona Cardinals, a program source confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday. ESPN first reported the news. Here’s what you should know:
Toney, 32, was among the younger Power 5 coordinators during his only season in Florida after working under Napier in Louisiana for four seasons.
Alabama inside linebackers coach Austin Armstrong is set to become Florida’s new DC, a program source told The Athletic on Wednesday. On3 Sports’ Matt Zenitz was the first to report the news.
Though Toney was heralded as a savant, his defense went through a bumpy transition in Florida 2022, ranking 87th in points allowed (28.8), 103rd in yards per game (5.92), and 129th in total. Third down stops (49.71 percent).
Toney oversaw the Gators Safetys, a group that will bring in three new starters in 2023. He featured heavily in a recruit class that landed, including seven top 300 defenders, including three defenders.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What does the loss mean for Florida?
The timing isn’t ideal, with the Gators poised to kick off spring on March 4th. That means Toney’s replacement has to hit the ground sprinting to begin the system installation. The positive for anyone Napier hires is that most SEC defenses now operate from a five-db base, alternating between 3-3 and 4-2 fronts. So it’s likely that the Gators won’t see a huge change in scheme.