Seven Football Assistant Coaches Named
Thursday, January 10, 2002 | Football
"I believe this is an excellent combination of highly qualified coaches with solid backgrounds and a proven track record of success," said Coach Zook. "They are all high-energy people who work very hard at coaching, recruiting and everything else that is involved in producing a program which can compete at the highest level of college football and make Gator fans proud. I'm excited and confident about coaching with this staff."
Dwayne Dixon and Jerry Odom were members of the 2001 Gator staff, and Jerry (Red) Anderson, an assistant football coach at UF from l985-l994, will rejoin the staff as a defensive coach.
Veteran offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher comes from Marshall, where his offense finished third in the nation in passing and total offense in 2001. The Thundering Herd threw for an average of 350.1 yards per game and 40 touchdowns. They also finished third in total offense with an average of 505.1 yards per game and 61 touchdowns.
The remainder of the offensive staff includes Dixon, former Gator lineman Joe Wickline and Larry Fedora, who both came from the record-setting offense at Middle Tennessee State. Fedora was offensive coordinator and Wickline offensive line coach as the Blue Raiders finished the 2001 season seventh in the nation in rushing with 237.7 yards a game and 32 TDs, fifth in total offense with 481.5 yards a game and ninth in scoring with 37 points per game. Dixon, wide receiver coach for the Gators since l990, has produced 11 All-Americans, 17 NFL receivers and six of the top seven career touchdown leaders in SEC history.
The defensive staff, in addition to Anderson and Odom, includes former New Orleans Saints defensive assistant/quality control coach Mike Woodford. Anderson coached the defensive tackles from 1990-1994, producing All-Americans Tony McCoy, Brad Culpepper and Ellis Johnson. Odom served inside linebackers coach for the Gators in 2001. He was a four-year letterman (1987-1990) and captain of the l990 team.
Offensive Assistants:
Ed Zaunbrecher-Started coaching career at Arizona as an offensive line coach (l975-76). Offensive Backs/Receivers Coach at Purdue (l977-79). Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Receivers Coach at Wake Forest (l980- 83), Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach at LSU (l984-90). QB Coach at Michigan State (l991) and Linebackers/Kickers Coach (l992-93). Head Coach at Northeast Louisiana (l994-98). Offensive Coordinator/QB Coach at Marshall (l999-2000)
Dwayne Dixon-Wide Receiver Coach at Florida (l990-Present).
Larry Fedora-Graduate Assistant at Baylor (l991-93), Running Backs/Receivers Coach at Baylor (l993-96), Passing Game Coordinator at Air Force Academy (l997-98), Offensive Coordinator at Middle Tennessee State (l999-2001).
Joe Wickline-Graduate Assistant at Florida (l982-83), Graduate Assistant at Tennessee (l984), Offensive Line Coach at Delta State (l984-86), and Offensive Coordinator (l987), Offensive Line Coach at Mississippi (l988- 1994), Offensive Line Coach at Pearl River Community College (l995), Head Football Coach at Southwest Mississippi Community College (l996), Recruiting Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach at Middle Tennessee State (l999-2000) and Running Game Coordinator (2001).
Defensive Assistants:
Jerry (Red) Anderson-Veteran high school coach at North Miami (1971-73), Miami Carol City (1973-77 with his l975 and l976 teams winning the 4A State Championships), Special Teams/Linebackers/Strength Coach at the University of Miami (l978), Offensive Line Coach/Strength Coach at Army (l979-82), Offensive Line Coach/Strength Coach at Central Florida (l983), Interim Head Coach at Central Florida (l984). Assistant Coach at Florida (l985-l994). Administrator with Gator Boosters, Inc. (l994-2001).
Jerry Odom-Student Assistant Coach at Florida (1991-92), Assistant Coach at New Smyrna Beach High School (l997-99). Graduate Assistant at Florida (2000), Inside Linebackers Coach at Florida (2001).
Mike Woodford-Graduate Assistant at Arizona (l982), Graduate Assistant at Arkansas (l983), Defensive Backs Coach at Rhodes College (1984), Defensive Backfield Coach at Middle Tennessee State (l985), Defensive Backfield Coach at Akron (l986), Defensive Backfield Coach at Walsh University (l995- l999), Defensive Backfield Coach at Middle Tennessee State (l999-2000), Defensive Assistant/Quality Control Coach at New Orleans Saints (2001)
