McCarney expected to take Gators job
The University of Florida is expected to announce today that USF defensive line coach Dan McCarney is accepting a position on Urban Meyer's coaching staff.
McCarney, who coached one season with the Bulls after being head coach at Iowa State, is expected to carry the title of assistant head coach and defensive line coach, as he did with the Bulls.
He has interviewed this offseason for head coaching jobs at Northern Illinois and South Alabama, but is expected to choose the Gators instead.
McCarney will replace Greg Mattison, who is leaving the Gators after three seasons to take a job with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. McCarney shined in his one season with the Bulls, helping sophomore defensive end George Selvie become a consensus All-American who led the nation in tackles for loss.
-- GREG AUMAN, Times Staff Writer
(Getty Images. Click to enlarge.)


Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
Man, that is a tough blow to the coaching staff.
Posted by: DELdaBULL | February 08, 2008 at 12:28 PM
HOW CAN ANYONE BE SURPRISED AT THIS-I APPRECIATE THE TIME HE GAVE US, AND WISH HIM WELL-WE WILL SEE HIM DOWN THE ROAD, AND I EXPECT HE WILL BE PLEASED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME OF HIS RECRUITS, DESPITE COACHING AGAINST US. IT IS THE NATURE OF THE BIZ, AND NO ONE SHOULD BE SURPRISED.
Posted by: DERRY BECK | February 08, 2008 at 12:31 PM
DERRY,
THERE IS NO NEED TO YELL! We can read you :(
Posted by: DELdaBULL | February 08, 2008 at 12:37 PM
I have to say as a Gator fan I am very happy to have Coach McCarney come aboard. I don't think USF will be that affected by this though. CJL is an outstanding defensive coach and will undoubtedly find a quality replacement. I envied your D last year.
Posted by: Mike | February 08, 2008 at 12:39 PM
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
Posted by: Blake | February 08, 2008 at 12:47 PM
I wish him the best, but, why of all places, UF? It's a rhetorical question, by the way. I can't wait to play the lizards.
Posted by: Paisa el Toro | February 08, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Ugh.
Posted by: Windbane | February 08, 2008 at 12:54 PM
I live in Gainesville and over the years have watched UF take just about any coach they want. His salary will probably double. When USF realizes that you have to pay good assistant coaches, then we the fans will see the coaches stay. It's all about money. Go Bulls!!
Posted by: Carl H. | February 08, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Well, chances are good he will only be there for a year. He really wants to be HC again.
Posted by: Jim Johnson | February 08, 2008 at 01:01 PM
Well, he's on my s--- list now...
Gators suck
Posted by: Jonny | February 08, 2008 at 01:01 PM
Poop!!!
Those Gators sure are agressive...
"Momma says they are aggressive becuase they have all those teeth and no tooth brush"
Posted by: KC | February 08, 2008 at 01:06 PM
Weak...
Just plain old weak.
See ya around bro.
Posted by: Ari Hinkelberger | February 08, 2008 at 01:12 PM
It's certainly not the only reason, but McCarney stands to make considerably more at Florida. He earned $140,000 at USF in 2007 and was the Bulls' second-highest-paid assistant. By comparison, $140,000 would have made him the second-lowest paid assistant at Florida in 2007; co-defensive coordinators Charlie Strong and Greg Mattison each earned $290,000 with the Gators last season.
Posted by: G.A. | February 08, 2008 at 01:14 PM
I wish him well and appreciate everything he did for our program last year.
I can't blame him for taking the job, not just for the money. We are an up and coming program and I believe we will one day be on that level, but we are not the Gators yet. That is a higher profile job which will put him in a better position to become a head coach in the near future.
He helped us a lot last year and will surely be missed. I'd say we'll have a chance at beating him in 2010, but he'll probably be a head coach somewhere by then.
Posted by: J | February 08, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Didn't CJL just get a substantial raise? Why did none of it carry down to the assistants?
Posted by: Mike | February 08, 2008 at 01:27 PM
We really just can't realistically compete with UF when it comes to salaries. But he is still earning compensation from Iowa St., so I don't think money is his biggest motivator for this. As much as money I think this is about putting himself in a better position to get a head coaching job in the near future. Or a def coordinator position, since Strong is also a hot candidate right now.
This is a tough loss, he was an excellent coach, but most people realized the nature of his tenure here and that this was almost certainly the last year we'd have him.
Posted by: Gary | February 08, 2008 at 01:33 PM
GA, is it the job of the St. Pete Times to constantly cover for USF. I said when the story broke about the USA job that USF and you knew he was going to leave and it would be announced after signing day. Well, I guess I was right, you held out the Moffett story until his eligibility was up, and you waited on this one as well.
Posted by: Stephen | February 08, 2008 at 01:35 PM
He's using this job to springboard him a job at a BCS school next year. If Greg Robinson blows it again at Syracuse next year, watch for Syracuse to fire him and make a run at McCarney in 2009
Posted by: Smooth | February 08, 2008 at 01:40 PM
Stephen, thanks for the job advice. We had something on the blog Wednesday that quoted the South Alabama athletic director as saying that other offers had come along. Believe me, if I know something's going to happen, I report it. Any other tips?
Posted by: G.A. | February 08, 2008 at 01:40 PM
KC - Gators aren't agressive because they have all of those teeth but no toothbrush. They are ORNERY.
Get the quote right!!!
Posted by: Mike Lakeland | February 08, 2008 at 01:41 PM
This will make way for Rick Kravitz to come back.
Posted by: BulzFan97 | February 08, 2008 at 01:55 PM
Best wishes to him. Maybe they will be able to beat Auburn now.
Posted by: Philip | February 08, 2008 at 01:55 PM
I think something is wrong with the Gators' medulla oblongata.
Posted by: RR | February 08, 2008 at 01:57 PM
I would love to see Rick Kravitz return. I always liked the guy.
Not sure what CJL will think since he bailed for a job at NC State.
Is CJL a loyalty guy or maybe he doesn't care..
Posted by: Ari Hinkelberger | February 08, 2008 at 02:17 PM
Nice catch Mike in Lakeland...I'm just glad someone caught the WaterBoy reference. You too RR...
Posted by: KC | February 08, 2008 at 02:29 PM
I don't think G.A. had the story and intentionally withheld it until after signing day. The Gators beat writers were behind G.A. on this one and they would have definately released it if it could have impacted recruiting.
Posted by: J | February 08, 2008 at 02:47 PM
Crap, this is much worse. I was pulling for him to go to USA. At least he hung around until signing day. I wonder if he was up front with his recruits.
How do you replace a guy like that?
Posted by: Dave W | February 08, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Mike, Greg reported that CJL got a raise and also covered that the assistant pool will increase (by a couple hundred thousand if I recall).
Posted by: T Bever | February 08, 2008 at 04:06 PM
The Gators didn't want it out that Greg Mattison was going to the Ravens, else they might lose recruits as well.
Leavitt hasn't signed his new contract yet, but should shortly.
Posted by: G.A. | February 08, 2008 at 04:14 PM
Well, I guess we knew he was leaving, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be quite so soon. Very disappointing, of course.
Posted by: Ken | February 08, 2008 at 04:24 PM
Wasn't he responsible for developing Selvie?
Posted by: Tad | February 08, 2008 at 05:25 PM
Just dropping a line to note that I'm not the same Stephen as above.
We all figured McCarney wasn't going to be with us long. I'm glad he helped us out for a year, maybe helped Selvie a lot.
And hey, if someone offered me that kind of raise to do the same job (only with easier recruiting), it'd be NUTS not to take it! C'mon, that's a HUGE difference in pay. It's not like he was an alumnus or something.
Posted by: Stephen Blackehart | February 08, 2008 at 10:17 PM
GA, is it the job of the St. Pete Times to constantly cover for USF. I said when the story broke about the USA job that USF and you knew he was going to leave and it would be announced after signing day. Well, I guess I was right, you held out the Moffett story until his eligibility was up, and you waited on this one as well.
Send your responses to the poster of this thread to....
Phil Greenwald
2611 W LYKES CT
TAMPA, FL 33611
Posted by: Steve | February 09, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Tad, while obviously Selvie benefited from McCarney's presence, a DE does not do what Selvie did because of his line coach's 'development'.
Selvie was about as big of a one star mis-read by the scouts as there has been in recent memory. Of course, the real test will be how he adjusts next year.
Good luck coach on your next job...
Posted by: | February 09, 2008 at 12:15 PM