Jeremy Patterson, a member of Rutgers’ player-development staff, will join the Florida football program as an assistant defensive line coach. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman was the first to reveal Florida’s decision to add Patterson to the roster.
Patterson played collegiate football at Wisconsin from 2014 to 2016, then transferred to Tennessee State for his final two seasons.
Although he did not record any statistics during his four appearances with the Badgers, he had six starts at Tennessee State and concluded his career with 17 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, in 18 games.
The likely acquisition of Patterson comes after a period of attrition for Florida’s coaching staff, the most recent of which saw Joe Hamilton leave for a position at Texas A&M.
Hamilton, a Lewisville, Texas native, began his tenure as a personnel analyst in Gainesville prior to the 2022 season before being elevated to assistant director of player personnel/NFL liaison before the 2023 season.
He returned to Florida to reunite with head coach Billy Napier after three seasons at Louisiana, where Hamilton was in charge of quality control: player personnel/recruitment.
Prior to Hamilton’s departure, Florida’s strength and conditioning coordinator, Craig Fitzgerald, accepted a position at Boston College to reunite with Bill O’Brien, while Kali James and on-field assistant Darnell Stapleton left the program soon after National Signing Day.
On January 24, James took a position as Jackson State’s defensive line coach and run game coordinator.
On Signing Day, UF head coach Billy Napier lauded James’ work with the program, noting that he would be given more duties prior to spring camp before leaving Gainesville.
“We’ve got Mike Peterson in that room, Will Harris in that room, Gerald Chatman in that room, you know, we’ve promoted Kali James, he’s a graduate assistant, he’s kind of the assistant defensive line coach and is going to help us with the hybrid players,” Napier said of the defensive line coaching staff at Florida. “It’s a good room, and I think they’re in a good place, they’re excited to work together.”
On February 15, Stapleton, UF’s co-offensive line coach, accepted an invitation to return to the NFL as an assistant offensive line coach with the Washington Commanders.
Stapleton, one of Florida head coach Billy Napier’s original additions to his staff, was hired by the Gators as one of two full-time offensive line coaches for the 2022 season, alongside current Florida offensive line coach Rob Sale.
Stapleton, an off-field offensive line assistant at Louisiana under Napier in 2021, was praised by players and colleagues for his ability to rely on his own playing experiences and pass on the knowledge he gained.
Stapleton was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting right guard in the 2009 Super Bowl He was a finalist for the 2006 Rimington Trophy, which is given to the nation’s outstanding collegiate center.
Four days before Stapleton’s decision to go to Washington, Craig Fitzgerald, Florida’s strength coach, accepted a position on Bill O’Brien’s staff at Boston College.
