Texas A&M Hiring Florida LB Coach Jay Bateman as Defensive Coordinator
Photo: Jay Bateman; Credit: Zach Goodall
Gators inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman is leaving the University of Florida to become the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M University, All Gators can confirm.
TexAgs.com’s Billy Liucci first announced the news.
During his two seasons with the Gators, Bateman helped elevate the inside linebacker position considerably with veteran pieces like Ventrell Miller and Amari Burney seeing upticks in success under his tutelage in 2022. He also played the biggest role in the development of highly regarded linebacker talent Shemar James — who ranked second on the team in tackles in 2023 despite missing the season's final four games due to injury.
Bateman also served as a top recruiter on the Gators staff during his two seasons in Gainesville, adding two of the nation’s top second-level defenders officially on Wednesday with Buchholz (Fla.) High’s Myles Graham and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.) High’s Aaron Chiles signing their National Letters of Intent.
His well-respected influence in the DMV area — derived from his multi-year stint coaching at Army — helped lure in the latter.
Bateman recently spent three years serving as the defensive coordinator at North Carolina before his move to Florida in 2022. The Tar Heels defense struggled to find success in his aggressive system, allowing 32.1 points and 418.6 yards per game in his final season with the team in 2021.
He remained fresh in that area while serving as a primary defensive playcaller in Florida’s spring games over the past two seasons.
Bateman will now receive another shot at calling plays in the fall as a key cog in the beginning of the Mike Elko era in College Station.
The Florida linebackers coach joins Corey Raymond and Sean Spencer as assistants to depart from the program this offseason. He’ll continue working with Spencer, who was hired as the Aggies defensive line coach on Dec. 3.
Now, Napier will scour the market for a new inside linebackers coach amid UF's negotiations for a defensive line coach and search new leader of the strength and conditioning staff.
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