Tracking the Florida Gators Off-Field Coaching Hires Under Billy Napier
Photo: Billy Napier; Credit: Alex Shepherd
Billy Napier's first Florida Gators coaching staff is still being pieced together almost a month into his tenure with the program. This was expected, as Napier suggested in his introductory press conference that he intended to build an "unprecedented" team of assistants, one which he called an "army."
Six of the ten on-field assistant slots have been filled, with another four technically open although reports have surfaced that suggest candidates have been identified for each position.
But, we're not here to cover the on-field hirings, as we've done that already for each coach individually. Rather, as there isn't a cap on the number of off-field assistants that Napier can bring on board, we're tracking and analyzing each official addition to the support staff, which you can find below.
This list will be updated as further hirings are announced.
Mark Hocke, associate head coach/director of football strength and conditioning
Mark Hocke was Napier's first official hire as the Gators' head coach, immediately naming Hocke to the same position he held at Louisiana over the last four years. Overseeing Florida's strength and conditioning program which will allow him to build strong relationships with every player on the roster, Hocke's associate head coach label is sensible. He'll be Napier's right-hand man as the head coach rebuilds UF's football program.
Hocke not only worked with Napier at Louisiana but also at Alabama in 2011 and again from 2013-15. He's also directed strength and conditioning at Georgia (2015) and was on the strength and conditioning staff at Florida State (2016) and Texas A&M (2017).
Ryan O'Hara, offensive analyst – quarterbacks
When the Gators hit the field for the first time under the new regime, Florida’s new head coach will assume a plethora of responsibilities. Naming himself as the team's offensive play-caller and primary quarterbacks coach on top of his traditional head coaching duties, Napier added his former ULL offensive analyst and quarterback assistant Ryan O’Hara in the same role at UF.
To ensure Napier isn’t stretched too thin, O’Hara will serve a significant role in molding the future of Florida Gators signal-callers — just as he did with Levi Lewis with the Ragin’ Cajuns — as Napier’s second-in-charge as far as QBs are concerned. His first important task will rest in aiding the progression of the new face of the Gators program in rising redshirt sophomore Anthony Richardson.
Hailing from the west coast — where he played collegiately at Arizona — O’Hara expands Florida’s presence on the recruiting trail beyond the Texas line that has been the dividing marker for how far west as the Gators have traveled for talent in the past few cycles.
Jamar Chaney, defensive analyst – ILB / OLB
A homecoming of sorts, Napier added Jamar Chaney to his staff as a senior defensive analyst earlier in December. Chaney spent the last two seasons at Mississippi State with the same title, after previously filling the roles of director of player personnel and assistant linebackers coach under Dan Mullen at Florida in 2019.
A Fort Pierce, Fla. native, Chaney has already made an impact during his second stint with the Gators. Immediately getting to work with Napier and cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond, Chaney helped Florida land the nation's No. 1 safety Kamari Wilson (IMG Academy, Fla.) during the early signing period. Wilson has a close relationship with Chaney, hailing from the same hometown as the analyst.
Katie Turner, assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy
One of the biggest off-field acquisitions to this point has been the addition of Katie Turner to the Florida Gators staff as the assistant athletic director of recruiting strategy. Formerly serving as the director of recruiting operations at Georgia, Turner contributed to the Bulldogs' documented success on the recruiting trail during the 2021 and 2022 classes. In her two seasons with UGA, Turner helped construct two top-five recruiting classes.
Working together at Louisiana from 2018 to 2020 and Alabama from 2013-2016, Turner and Napier’s relationship proved to be a deciding factor to draw her away from Athens into Gainesville. She will be an integral piece in the Gators' efforts to increase their success rate in landing top-tier talent in what Napier likes to call a “talent-acquisition business.”
Jacob LaFrance, director of player personnel
Jacob LaFrance is a key member of Florida's new recruiting staff, in a position he's familiar with for various reasons.
LaFrance held the same role under Napier at Louisiana over the last three years and at USTA for three seasons before that, overseeing prospect evaluation, roster management, and assisting with NFL liaisons on visits and research among other duties according to UF.
An LSU graduate as well, LaFrance was on the Tigers' staff as a personnel assistant for five years (2009-14), giving him familiarity with the recruiting operation within the SEC.
Joe Danos, director of player athletic development
Florida’s emphasis on creating the aforementioned “army” of off-field assistants has been evident in its dedication to supplementing the players with a top-of-the-line strength and conditioning staff. Joe Danos — who has spent the past nine years working in the NFL with the New York Giants and MLS with Inter Miami — heads over to the Gators as the director of player athletic development.
Danos is equipped with a breadth of professional experience and is a certified coach by USA Weightlifting. His last stint in college was with Florida’s in-state rival FSU from 2010 to 2012, where he helped construct the Seminoles 2013 National Championship squad.
Showing the flexibility to operate at the highest level of multiple sports, Danos’ expertise gives Florida a strong foundation for matching the physicality and conditioning of the blue blood programs they hope to compete with in the near future.
Doug Domingue, director of recruiting innovation
A unique off-field job title for Florida, Doug Domingue will lead Florida's recruiting innovation moving forward and is likely to work within the creative media department which has been led by Kevin Camps. Domingue was the director of digital strategy at Louisiana for the past four years, earning a senior title in 2020, solely responsible for digital creation for the Ragin’ Cajuns' entire athletic program.
You can find an example of Domingue's work at Louisiana below.
Ashour Peera, director of football operations, logistics and analytics
Coming over from Louisiana, Napier was tasked with finding recruiting staffers with ties to the state that can rekindle previous relationships to recruit in-state talent at a higher level.
As a result, Ashour Peera was named assistant director of football operations, logistics and analytics, given his experience working at high schools in Florida, namely as head coach of Clermont (Fla.) East Ridge in the Orlando area. He was suspended by Lake County during his time there after being suspected of recruiting players to the program.
Originally from Chicago, Peera has bounced around the United States during his career, including a previous stop with Napier in Lafayette. Serving as the director of player engagement at Louisiana from 2019 to 2021, Peera aided the Ragin’ Cajuns to their constant standing atop the Sun Belt in recruiting.
He has been a catalyst for the Gators' early recruiting success as one of the first hires Florida made upon Napier’s arrival — as he hit the road early and often in his first few days on the job. Peera has quickly become a fan-favorite, as a result. He will continue to be a consistent presence on the trail, making appearances at a multitude of high schools in and out of state.
Kyle Kazakevicius, assistant director of football operations - quality control/assistant to the head coach
Growing up not far from the University of Florida in Ocala, Fla., Kyle Kazakevicius returns to the Sunshine State as the Gators' assistant director of football operations for quality control and assistant to the head coach after four seasons with Napier at Louisiana.
At ULL, Kazakevicius served as the director of recruiting and a running back analyst alongside running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, helping develop the likes of stud running backs Elijah Mitchell, Montrell Johnson and Trey Ragas. He previously held the role of director of player engagement and was at one point a strength and conditioning intern, meaning he can contribute to the program in various degrees.
Kazakevicius played wide receiver under Napier at Alabama from 2013-15, as well.
Karmichael Dunbar II, strength and conditioning assistant
The strength and conditioning staff has quickly taken shape since Hocke was anointed as the new head strength and conditioning coach of the Gators program. While Florida has reached beyond former connections to fill some of those roles, Karmichael Dunbar II travels over from Louisiana, where he worked with Hocke, Napier and others from 2019-21.
Attending Louisiana-Lafayette from 2012 to 2016, Dunbar is a former defensive lineman for the Ragin’ Cajuns. He began his coaching career as an intern in 2017 and has a one-year stay at Tennessee on his résumé.
He’ll assume the same assistant strength and conditioning coaching duties at Florida that he held at his last stop.
Edward Thompson, strength and conditioning assistant
Another assistant to Hocke in the strength and conditioning department, Edward Thompson arrives at UF with plenty of familiarity regarding Napier's system. Following his playing career with the Ragin Cajuns' (2014-16) and some coaching stops in between, Thompson was the head assistant strength coach and director of speed development at Louisiana in 2021 under Napier and Hocke.
According to UF, Thompson has worked for Houston, Georgia Tech, Austin Peay State, LSU and the New York Giants in his young strength coaching career.
Marcus Castro-Walker, director of player engagement/NIL
The landscape of college football has changed drastically since name, image and likeness legislation was passed in July, leading to the intensified efforts to equip players with opportunities to profit off themselves via NIL. Marcus Castro-Walker was hired as the director of player engagement and name, image and likeness to be a catalyst in the Gators' efforts to supply those chances for Florida football athletes.
Most recently manning the post of director of player development at Nebraska, Castro-Walker has held a number of different roles involving player development and engagement off the field. This includes stops at UCF and Arizona State.
His role is new to the Florida staff, and it will be a vital piece to the puzzle of covering every base in giving talent a gateway to market themselves firing their collegiate careers.
Frank Ogas, assistant for player development
Yet another Napier disciple, Frank Ogas will be an assistant for player development on Florida's off-field staff. Ogas, an Arizona State graduate and former football player, played tight end for the Sun Devils when Napier was the program's offensive coordinator in 2017. He's since spent four seasons on Napier's support staff at Louisiana as the strength and conditioning quality control coordinator and director of player development.
Nick McDonald, personnel analyst - offense
After spending four years on Napier's Louisiana staff as a recruiting quality control analyst, Nick McDonald will take on similar responsibilities as a personnel analyst for the offense at Florida, pitching in as a recruiter alongside the offensive on-field staffers. Before his time at Louisiana, McDonald was a recruiting specialist at Alabama as a student from 2015-17.
Joe Hamilton, personnel analyst - defense
Joe Hamilton worked under Napier for three years at ULL (2019-21) in quality control - player personnel/recruiting, and, similar to McDonald, will have comparable responsibilities on Florida's support staff as a defensive personnel analyst, helping with recruiting efforts as well.
Andrew Burkett, director of research and evaluation
Taking over the same role he held at Louisiana under Napier since 2018, Andrew Burkett has been hired as Florida's director of research and evaluation, which will oversee a large aspect of Florida's recruiting efforts and organization. Burkett, like McDonald, was a recruiting specialist at Alabama, a role he held from 2014-17.
Bri Wade, director of on-campus recruiting and football events
Set to orchestrate recruiting-related events on campus at Florida as she did for Napier at Louisiana over the last two years, Bri Wade is the next addition to UF's off-field staff as the director of on-campus recruiting and football events. It appears to be a similar role to what Lee Davis held on Dan Mullen's staff.
Before joining Napier's staff at ULL, Wade was a recruiting assistant at Mississippi State in 2019 after attending the university from 2014-18. In that span, she actually worked for Mullen as a student recruiting assistant for the Bulldogs. Wade was also a participant in the 2020 NFL Women’s Career in Football Forum.
Matt Bergeron, offensive analyst – wide receivers
Similar to O'Hara with the quarterbacks and Chaney with the linebackers, Matt Bergeron has joined Napier's off-field staff as a wide receivers analyst to work alongside coach Keary Colbert. Bergeron has previous analyst experience at Louisiana, working with the receivers and tight ends over the last two years and as a graduate assistant the two seasons prior. Before that, Bergeron was a graduate assistant and worked in quality control at Arizona State from 2016-17.
Bergeron played quarterback at Southern Mississippi from 2013-16.
Paul Pasqualoni, director of advanced scouting and self scout
A two-year special assistant to Mullen who coached outside linebackers and helped orchestrate the Gators' defense at the end of the year following Todd Grantham's firing, Paul Pasqualon is the first coach to be retained by Napier at Florida. He'll continue working in an off-field capacity by evaluating the team's roster and game-planning as an advanced scout/self-scout.
It's an interesting, innovative position but a knowledgable coach like Pasqualoni, who's coordinated defenses in the NFL and was a successful head coach at Syracuse for 14 years, should thrive in it.
Kelsee Gomes, director of sports nutrition – football
Napier is expected to emphasize sports nutrition as he builds his off-field staff and prepares for the opening of the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center in 2022, which leads to Kelsee Gomes' addition as director of sports nutrition.
Gomes returns to UF after spending four years at the university (2012-15) as a coordinator of sports nutrition. Since first departing from Florida, Gomes oversaw the nutritional department for football, baseball, men's basketball, field hockey, football, gymnastics, women's lacrosse and volleyball at North Carolina from 2015-21. Earlier in her career, Gomes worked in the traumatic brain injury and rehab unit at Orlando Regional Medical Center from 2009-11.
CJ Wilford, quality control - defense
Following three years as an assistant for Louisiana's secondary under Napier, CJ Wilford will serve as a quality control assistant for Florida's defense. Given his experience, odds are Wilford will work alongside secondary coaches Corey Raymond (cornerbacks) and Patrick Toney (safeties) and pitch in as a defensive backs recruiter.
Before joining Napier at ULL, Wilford spent three seasons at Southern Utah as a defensive assistant from 2016-17 and inside linebackers coach in 2018.
Braxton Morris, quality control - defense
Braxton Morris joined Napier's staff just before the new year, taking on the same role he held on the Ragin Cajuns' off-field staff for the last two seasons in defensive quality control. Morris was credited by UF for his contributions to Louisiana's passing defense, creating the idea that he will assist the Gators' secondary. Morris played football overseas from 2019-20 before joining the ULL support staff.
Bird Sherrill, director of college personnel
Bird Sherrill joins the Florida Gators scouting department as the director of college personnel. Sherrill has spent the past six seasons as part of the Detroit Lions scouting department where he, according to the Lions website, “assisted with player personnel projects, including evaluation and production of various scouting reports, annual draft prep [and] free agency acquisitions.”
Sherrill began his career as a student at Alabama as a recruiting specialist in 2013, moving onto the NFL following his graduation in 2016. He will provide Napier another tool in Florida’s collegiate scouting department, as he scours the market for transfer portal and JUCO talent.
Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
