GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Todd Grantham flirted with the idea of returning to the NFL last season, however, decided to stay at Florida.
The Gators defensive coordinator will no doubt be on team's radar this offseason.
"I have a really good job and my focus is winning the bowl game," Grantham told reporters this week. "My family likes it here. We’re working very hard to win the SEC, and I think we’re moving in the right direction. We just got to continue to do that. I think playing well in this bowl game and doing the things we need to be a good defense can help us moving into the offseason. That’s the focus.”
Although head coaches around the country have dealt with staff turnover, Dan Mullen has not. On the offensive side of the ball, the Gators head coach has worked with several of his assistants for years, with Billy Gonzales and John Hevesy working with Mullen for at least ten years.
Grantham joined Mullen's staff at Mississippi State and followed him over to Gainesville in late 2017.
“I think one, he lets you do your job and gives you the freedom to think and look for ideas, ways to get better," explained Grantham on why there is so much continuity on Mullen's staff. "Each player is individually different, you really can’t coach everybody the same. I think that’s how you separate yourself as a coach, understanding each person is an individual, in their assets, liabilities, even in how they learn - and how do I get this guy to play to his maximum ability.
"I think in our program, the way we do the offseason, the way we practice, the way we’re allowed to meet, I think all of that allows a good coach to give a player knowledge - and learning is power. Learning gives you the ability to make plays. Learning lets you play fast. And I think the way we’re structured we have the ability to teach guys, and then I think we do a really good job of making sure that everybody understands that competitive toughness is important and you have to compete every play and how hard you play matters.”
It doesn't sound like Mullen expects much, if any, turnover on his coaching staff this year.
"I think our guys really enjoy being here," stated the Gators head coach. "You're at a premier university. I have a lot of guys that have been with me for a long time and the quality of life that our coaches have, the direction the program's headed, the opportunity to live here in Florida. Most people are trying to work really hard to move to Florida when they retire. We already live here.
"A lot of our staff really enjoys being here," added Mullen. "We had a couple guys get calls for head coaching jobs. I think we have some really qualified coaches here that will be great head coaches that I think some people are missing some opportunities on. But I think for guys to leave to be assistants at other places, I think this is the premier place, so I most of them are really happy being here.”
Now if any of this coaches do receive calls for jobs, Mullen will certainly encourage them.
"Absolutely," said Mullen. "For our guys, they get the opportunity to go be a head coach, one, I encourage them. We do everything we can to help put them in that situation to become a head coach. And then I certainly hope if it’s an advancement for somebody on our staff that they take people with them and it would advance their careers.”
