Who is New Florida Gators Offensive Line Coach Jonathan Decoster?

Normally, the hiring of an assistant coach neither makes waves nor moves the proverbial needle, in any sense. Yet the Florida Gators bringing Jonathan Decoster on as an assistant offensive line coach should elicit feelings of hope and excitement not just within the locker room, but the fanbase, as well. Decoster joins a group of assistants with, to borrow a phrase, " a very particular set of skills"

Who is Jon Decoster?

In his twelfth year as a coach, Decoster's resume looks like an expanded view of Mapquest. After a standout career at the University of Louisiana (Louisiana-Lafayette), where he enjoyed life as the starting right tackle for four seasons, Decoster entered coaching in 2013. At the University of Nevada, he mentored the offensive line as a graduate assistant.

One of his former charges in Reno, Joel Bitonio ended up in Cleveland, with six Pro Bowls and five All-Pro nods to his credit. Decoster earned a national championship ring as a graduate assistant at LSU. After a quick stop at Old Dominion for a season, the first-year Gators assistant landed with the Cleveland Browns for three seasons. Now, he calls his home state of Florida home once again.

Players to Help

If you take a player like Jason Zandamela, you see a high ceiling but green-as-serrano-peppers inexperience on the college level. The speed of SEC football needs accounting for. With defenders looking to defeat blocks on their way to NFL paydays, Zandamela needs that refinement.

Intensive studying combined with drills brings everything into focus faster. Additionally, a veteran player like Austin Barber can fully appreciate what Decoster brings to the table, praising him at last week's media availability session.

"Yeah, I mean he’s coming from the NFL, he’s bringing some knowledge that we need," said Barber. "Like, it’s always good to hear from another perspective even at the highest level. It’s been really good. He’s done a great job pouring knowledge into us about what’s going on, like, how they do it in the NFL and critiquing some things, and it’s been really helpful for me in this fall camp.”

Alongside Rob Sale, Florida's offensive coordinator/line coach, Decoster presents the players with another dimension and viewpoint. The axiom of "two heads are better than one" applies in this instance. Redudancy helps as well. If Rob Sale were to move on from the Florida Gators for one reason or another, Decoster is set to step in.

Jonathan Decoster's presence and wealth of knowledge at a young age bridges the gap between the coaching staff and their players, fostering a sense of relatability.