Head coach Will Muschamp has named Dan Quinn the new Florida Gator defensive coordinator early Monday.

Quinn, a 17 year coaching veteran has spent his past 10 seasons in the NFL. Quinn worked with Muschamp on Nick Saban’s coaching staff for the Miami Dolphins.

Quinn spent the last two years with the Seattle Seahawks as the defensive line coach. He was also the defensive line coach for the New York Jets from 2007-08, Dolphins (2005-06) and the San Francisco 49ers (2003-04).

With the hire of Quinn, Will Muschamp has filled up eight of his nine coaching spots. Only one spot to go. More will be updated when received.

Not long after the Gators sent Urban Meyer out with a victory in the outback bowl against Penn State this weekend, new head coach Will Muschamp has made an announcement to the five members who were hired to the staff, which included three that were already present under Meyer. Muschamp has also confirmed that Charlie Weiss is officially hired as Florida’s offensive coordinator.

Muschamp has retained Florida’s running backs coach/recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton, tight ends coach Bryan White and linebackers coach/special teams D.J. Durkin. The new assistants who have became apart of the staff are former Gator WR Aubrey Hill who will be taking Zach Azzanni’s spot as the wide receivers coach. Hill was a receiver for Florida during 1991-94 and a graduate assistant from 1996-98. The other new hire is Travaris Robinson, who will be coaching the Gators’ secondary. Robinson is a former player at Auburn and coached this season with Texas Tech as the secondary coach.

“This is a good start to our coaching staff and I hope to have some additional announcements this week,” Muschamp said.” [Gathered by Antonya English from Gator Report]

I am stoked about this years coaching staff. As early as it is, Muschamp has done a great job putting together some great coaches for this football program. He has a lot more to come.

Stay tuned here on Gator Sports Nation with more news from Muschamp later in the week.

The Urban Meyer era has ended but he will never be forgotten by Gator Nation. Coach wasn’t only a great football coach but a great ambassador to the university.

Under Coach Meyer, the graduation rate went up for the football team, volunteer services went up and student involvement increased greatly.

Urban introduced the Gator walk to Florida and many other game day traditions.

Most players will remember Coach by his family atmosphere as he introduced family night with the players, where players would eat dinner with the coaches and their families.

Gator Nation will probably most remember Coach for his two national championships or his ability to bring Tim Tebow to Florida.

Coach Meyer remember one thing Once a Gator Always a Gator and we would look forward to still having you around.

GatorSportsNation would like to personally thank you Coach for everything you have done for the program and the university.We also  made a tribute video dedicated to coach Meyer.

We would like everyone who reads this or visits the site to leave your comments about your favorite Coach Meyer moments and send you’re THANKS to Coach Meyer for everything.

The Gators were ahead 30-24 with Penn State driving on Florida’s 20 yard line with less than a minute to go in the game when Ahmad Black intercepted Penn State’s Matthew McGloin pass and took it 80 yards for a game sealing touchdown.

McGloin got the scoring started in the first half with a 5 yard pass to Moye. On Penn State’s next possession Ahmad Black intercepted a McGloin pass and returned it to the Penn State 15 yard line three plays later Florida quarterback Trey Burton fumbled as he was going into the end zone.

Cody Riggs intercepted McGloin on the next possession inside Penn State territory 2 plays later Omarius Hines took a reverse 16 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 at the beginning of the second quarter.

Penn State went three and out on their next possession and was lined up to punt when the Gators Solomon Patton blocked the punt and Lerentee McCray scooped and scored from 27 yards out to put the Gators up 14-7.

Penn State would answer right back as Michael Zordich capped a 72 yard drive with a 1 yard run to tie the game back up at 14-14. Penn State would go on top after Colin Wagner converted a 20 yard field goal right before half as the Lions got the ball inside Florida territory when Chas Henry’s Punt was kicked out of bounds inside the thirty yard line.

It was a back and forth game throughout as Penn State held the lead at the half 17-14 but the second half was a different story as the Gators came out with a sense of urgency and more momentum then Penn State.

Chas Henry opened up the second by connecting with a 30 yard field goal to tie the game at 17 all with 9:09 left in the third quarter, but it didn’t take long for the Nittany Lions to regain the lead as McGloin scored on a 2 yard run to put the Lions up 24-17.

Henry connected on a career-long 47 yard field to cut the margin to 24-20 with 2:42 left in the third quarter.

On the following possession Brandon Hick got the Gators third interception and set the Gators up on the Penn State 25 yard line. Mike Gillislee punched the ball in from the one yard line to put the Gators up for good 27-24. Henry hit another field goal from 20 yards out to give the Gators a 30-24 lead.
Penn State was driving with their next possession when Ahmad Black picked up the McGloin pass and returned it for 6.

All Week Ahmad Black has said he wanted to give Coach a going away present well I think that was a great going away present for Coach Meyer. As the closing seconds ticked off the clock the crowd chanted “Urban Meyer, Urban Meyer”.

Coach Meyer was joined on the sidelines by his wife and kids as he and Shelley met coach Paterno at midfield after the final second finally ticked off the clock.

The Gators ended with 279 yards of total offense.

(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Sources close to the athletic program at the University of Florida have disclosed to us that Charlie Weis has been offered the Offensive Coordinator position.  Weis, a former head coach for Notre Dame, is currently the Offensive Coordinatior with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Will Muschamp contacted the Chiefs earlier this week for permission to talk to Coach Weis, with the full intention of hiring him and getting him on the recruiting trail.  Sources said Weis would continue to coach the Chiefs into the AFC playoffs, another source reiterated that Weis is expected to accept the job.

More to come on this developing story.

This holiday season, its a time of family, fellowship and getting ready for a BCS Bowl Game - preferably the National Title Game. (I sort of let go of that one the first week of October for our team)  One of my earlier articles was about how crazy the last twelve months has been – the merry-go-round does not seem to want to stop anytime soon. Urban has retired again most assuredly this time its for real, we are playing in The Outback Bowl against a coach that is almost 46 years older than our retiring 46 year old coach. If Joe Paterno would have retired at the age of 46, he would have retired while there were black and white tv’s still broadcasting games.

This year was a let down according to the standards that we have become accustom to for Florida Football. 7-5 happened for Ron Zook and Galen Hall, not Urban Meyer.  We have had a lot of young players and a lot of gut wrenching losses, most notably the 7-10 loss against Miss St. that left everyone baffled as we filed out of the Swamp. Maybe we were spoiled, maybe we just didn’t have the patience this team deserved.  After all, most teams have a rebuilding year is 4-8 or 5-7, we pulled out some great games (see 34-31 win over UGA) It really could have been worse, not much – but I was referring to loosing season worse. By the way, when was our last loosing season?  (1979)

Today as we were eating our Christmas meal with the family, my niece Terryn prompty told me what she was thankful for this holiday season. After the DS Lite XL, the Pillow Pet, and the jelly watch, it was Tim Tebow.  Of course it was Tim, how could we forget what he gave us each and every Saturday for four years, but it got me thinking about being grateful and Florida Football.

So here it is, For those of you who have had your fill with the Hula Bowl, the Chicken Bowl, and the Kmart Blue Light Special Bowl, and non SEC football team bowls, Here are my Top 10 Reasons I am Grateful for Florida Football.

1. 2010 is over.  Enough said – this was a hard year. Glad its over…

2.  Hope. 2011 and the #1 and #2 recruiting classes we have had in 2008 and 2009 will have a season or two under their belt. Next year should be fun again.

3. Mack Brown, Dominique Easley, Ronald Powell, and Sharif Floyd….(write these names down – remember them – you will hear lots from them in 2011.)

4. Will Muschamp – He is an awesome person and coach. He will make Gator Fans proud- just have a little faith. (for those doubters – I heard the same rhetoric back in 2005 when we hired the head coach of Utah)

5. Jeremy Foley – Sometime he chaps me with the one liners and outward flippant attitude, but lets give props where they are due; the man can flat out assess potential. Billy Donovan, Urban, Kevin O’Sullivan, ahem, Ron Zook.  I only add Ron because so many of his recruits were around in 2006 when we took the wood to Ohio State.

6. Steve Spurrier – yes, Spurrier.  Ok, get past the crushing defeat at the hands of his Gamecocks.  Sit there and tell me you weren’t the least bit happy for the Head Ball Coach. Besides it must be deja’ vu for him in his bowl game. FSU awaits him in the Chick Fil A bowl. Fitting huh?

7. Tim Tebow – OK, Even I thought it would be next year before we saw anything from the Man of Steel. DID YOU SEE THAT STIFF ARM AND TOUCHDOWN RUN IN OAKLAND! Yea, and Mel Kiper Jr. looks like a complete horses ass right about now to say Tebow would have no success.

8. The New England Gators – OK, I’m not sure but if Urban does come back to coach next year, but could it be in New England? I bet Spikes, Cunningham, and Hernandez would not mind a bit.

9. True, Loyal Gator Fans.  Not the ones who are burning up ESPN with horrible comments about Meyer, Brantley, and our offensive woes this year.  The coaching situation that was up and down for a year, or the recruits that may or may not go because they think the machine will collapse without Meyer.  It won’t. We will be back in a BCS National Championship game within 3 years. Mark my words….

10. Last but not least Urban Meyer.  He has put UF back on the map after Ron Zook deserted us to a lost island somewhere. He won us 2 championships in three years and brought in some great recruits.  He got a bad rap for the 25+ arrests that occurred under his watch but let me ask you this question – When you were 18-19-20 years old, did your dad know where you were each moment of the day or night? How do you expect Urban – who actually has his own kids – to keep up with 110 athletes every year, every weekend night and make sure they do not party and are all home in bed by midnight. Could you do it?…..didn’t think so. I respect him for the father and leader that he was and still is.  I respect him that after a 4.2 Million dollar salary, he walked away to be with his family. Again, could you do it?…. didn’t think so.

As we get ready to say what our resolutions are for the new year, here’s one we should all have on our lists….be thankful that our players are not suspended for killing someone, be thankful that we do not have any players suspended for the first 5 games next football season, be thankful we got a new high-caliber coach that refuses to sleep, he will give everything he has to the successes of our program, and do it respectably.  Be thankful Gator Fans.

I am.

Happy Holidays to your family from the staff here at GatorSportsNation.com