Florida coach Dan Mullen has shaken up his staff following a 23-point loss at South Carolina, firing defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive line coach John Hevesy.
A source confirmed Grantham is gone after five seasons with Mullen, including the past four with the Gators after the two joined forces in 2017 at Mississippi State. Grantham fielded strong defenses during first two seasons in Gainesville, including the nation’s 7th-ranked scoring defense in 2019 (15.5 points per game). But the decline in Grantham’s defense the past two seasons raised questions about his future with the Gators and his hefty $1.8 million salary.
Hevesy has been on the same staff with Mullen since the 2001 season with Urban Meyer at Bowling Green. Hevesy and Mullen followed Meyer to Utah and UF until Mullen left in 2009 for Mississippi State, where Hevesy joined him for nine seasons before heading to Florida.
Grantham’s contract expires Jan. 31, 2022, but Mullen had little choice but to let him go after Florida’s defensive effort during a 40-17 loss at South Carolina. The Gamecocks averaged 6.8 yards a carry, double their season average (3.37). South Carolina’s 459 yards were the most against Florida this season and 132 above the Gamecocks’ average.
The performance came two games after a 49-42 loss at LSU, where the Tigers ran for 321 yards after entering the game averaging 83.3 rushing yards.
The Gators’ defensive front and undersized linebackers were pushed around by an LSU team with a lame-duck head coach — Ed Orgeron was fired the next day — and a South Carolina squad with first-time head coach Shane Beamer amid a major rebuilding effort.
The lack of physicality up front and Hevesy’s inability to sign top talent have been long-standing issues with Florida’s offensive line. The O-line’s lack of push the past two seasons was glaring. Florida averaged just 129.8 rushing yards in 2019 and 131.3 in 2020.
The Gators appeared to have solved the problem early this season against Alabama. Florida rushed for 258 yards while converting five third downs and scoring four times on the ground — just the fifth time an Alabama defense under Nick Saban yielded three rushing touchdowns.
The success would be short-lived under the 50-year-old Hevesy, who earned $630,000 annually.
Florida (4-5, 2-5 SEC) averaged 322.5 rushing yards during the first four games but 146.6 yards the past five, including a season-low 82 at South Carolina.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osgators.
