Randy Shannon To Serve As Florida’s Defensive Coordinator In Outback Bowl


Randy Shannon will serve as Florida’s defensive coordinator in the Outback Bowl against Iowa in place of Geoff Collins, who took the head coaching position at Temple.


The Florida Gators, which finished No. 6 in total defense during the regular season, will have a new coach calling defensive plays for their Outback Bowl matchup against Iowa.

Geoff Collins, who has been the head of the Gators surge on the defensive side of the ball the past two years, will start working at his new job as Temple head coach immediately, leaving co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Randy Shannon to prepare Florida for C.J. Beathard and company.

The transition should not be difficult, with Shannon having experience as the leader of a defense, including winning the 2001 Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the country as the defensive coordinator at Miami. Shannon and Collins have also worked together the past two seasons under head coach Jim McElwain.

A position coach or coordinator leaving for their new job is nothing new leading up to a bowl, as even head coaches have foregone coaching their team in bowl games, opting to focus all of their time on the new position.

Tom Herman, Willie Taggart, and many others have moved to their new head coaching positions between the regular season and bowl appearance, further proving that bowl games not within the construct of the College Football Playoff are little more than exhibitions. For Collins, the early move north presents him more time to further build on a team that is coming off consecutive 10-win seasons.

Kickoff for Florida and Iowa’s Outback Bowl game is set for January 2 at 1 p.m. ET.

MORE: Florida Football Must Hire Young, Energetic Defensive Coordinator