Florida has decided to part ways with Corey Raymond, the secondary coach, and Sean Spencer, the co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach, after their two seasons with the program.
Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel was first to report Raymond and Spencer’s departures.
Both Raymond and Spencer were members of head coach Billy Napier’s first coaching staff at the University of Florida.
Raymond joined the Gators after spending 10 seasons in various coaching roles for LSU, his alma mater, where he produced 13 NFL Draft picks, including three first-round selections. Spencer, on the other hand, had two seasons with the New York Giants before joining Napier and UF, and six years at Penn State prior to his time in the NFL.
When he was hired, Spencer was given the title of co-defensive coordinator, but in 2022 it was Patrick Toney and in 2023 it was Austin Armstrong who called plays for Florida’s defense.
Unfortunately, the performance of Florida’s defensive line in 2023 was disappointing. The defensive front of Florida struggled to consistently generate pressure throughout the season, resulting in a sack percentage of only 6.04, which ranked 70th in the FBS.
Raymond’s role expanded this year as he was promoted to coach the entire secondary after Toney left for the NFL. Before this, he only oversaw the team’s cornerbacks. However, it was new defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong who coached the safeties during practice. Armstrong, 30, will continue to lead the defense.
The performance of the cornerbacks for Florida was problematic during the 2023 season. Starters Jason Marshall and Jalen Kimber occasionally struggled with pass defense and tackling, and promising sophomore Devin Moore was hindered by injuries. As a result, a significant number of explosive plays were allowed.
Overall, the Gators had the 81st-ranked defense in the country in 2023. They were ranked 68th in pass defense and 93rd in sacks.
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