GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida offensive line coach
Mike Summers, after three seasons with the Gators, is returning to his Kentucky roots.
Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino announced Saturday afternoon that he has hired Summers as co-offensive coordinator and O-line coach, marking the third time the two have worked together. Summers was a Louisville assistant under Petrino from 2003-06 and also worked on Petrino's staff at Arkansas.
Summers is a Kentucky native who has coached at both flagship schools in the state, his alma mater, Kentucky, and at Louisville. He was the only holdover from former Gators head coach Will Muschamp's staff retained after the 2014 season when Muschamp was replaced by
Jim McElwain.
"Kathy and I are so excited to re-join the Cardinal family," Summers said in a statement on Louisville's official website. "I'm so excited to be back in the state of Kentucky and be re-united with Coach Petrino. I think he is the best football coach in the country and I'm excited to be part of something special at Louisville."
What does this mean for the Gators?
McElwain and his staff spent Saturday hosting recruits and their families. The assistant coaches attended the UF men's basketball team's win over Georgia at Exactech Arena with several recruits as they try to finish strong on the recruiting trail prior to National Signing Day on Feb. 1.
The departure opens another vacancy on McElwain's staff. Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins was hired as head coach at Temple in December and after Florida's 30-3 win over Iowa in the Outback Bowl, McElwain named
Randy Shannon defensive coordinator.
McElwain has multiple options in filling the two openings on his staff. He could promote from within the organization or hire from the outside. Veteran offensive line coach
Bret Ingalls served as an offensive analyst this past season. The area that appears the most concern to McElwain is adding strong recruiters to round out his staff.
Summers is the latest move in the retooling of Florida's football staff. Temple announced this week that Gators defensive graduate assistant
Josh Linam has joined Collins' staff as a defensive analyst.
Meanwhile, former Gators offensive analyst John Garrett, who joined McElwain's staff in 2015 before moving to Richmond as offensive coordinator this past season, is now head coach at Lafayette. Garrett hired Gators offensive graduate assistant
Christian Pace as running backs coach. Pace was at Florida the last two seasons.
In one other personnel move, Collins hired Gators equipment assistant Kane Ivers-Osthus, one of Florida's "Money Down" sideline guys under Collins, as a graduate assistant working with Temple's football equipment staff.
Â
