New Gators assistant coach Jules Montinar spent last season at USF. (Photo: Courtesy of USF Athletics)
Carter's Corner: A Closer Look At Gators Assistant Montinar
Monday, January 25, 2021 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Technology has advanced at warp speed in the past decade, but back in the spring of 2009, the resourcefulness of Jules Montinar earned him respect around the office and a story in his hometown newspaper
In his second season as a defensive graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky, Colonels head coach Dean Hood asked Montinar to track down a highlight tape of a potential recruit from North Carolina.
"He comes in the next day and said, 'Coach, I've got that film,' '' Hood told the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press.
At the time, such a quick turnaround was unusual.
"We had that film here?" Hood asked.
"I got it on my website,'' Montinar responded.
With the help of an EKU student who was a web designer, Montinar created a website he envisioned as a social network for coaches, primarily as a streamlined way for high school coaches to upload highlights from a DVD onto the internet for easier access by college coaches.
The idea made a favorable impression on Hood.
"He's gonna be a great football coach,'' Hood said then. "He's organized, conscientious and a go-getter."
Here is a closer look at the 35-year-old Montinar, who has joined the Gators as an assistant coach:
GO-GETTER INDEED
Montinar received invaluable experience early in his coaching career when he got a position assisting Alabama head coach Nick Saban during the 2012 and '13 seasons.
Once again, Montinar used a dose of ingenuity to get the job.
He spent the 2011 season as a graduate assistant at Purdue and noticed a graduate assistant/analyst position open at Alabama on the website FootballScoop.com. Montinar sent a resume and followed up several times about the opening with Linda Leoni, who is Saban's administrative assistant.
When it was time for the Crimson Tide to finalize the position, then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and director of player development Glenn Schumann narrowed down the list of candidates. Since Montinar had made a favorable impression on Leoni, she mentioned him as someone to remember.
They did.
"Kirby called me and two days later I was on the plane interviewing," Montinar told Athlon Sports. "The rest is history."
As other Crimson Tide analysts worked side-by-side with assistants, Montinar drew the assignment of coaching cornerbacks with Saban.
"You've got to bring your 'A' game every time," Montinar said. "There's nowhere to hide."
WORKING WITH WITHERS
Following his two seasons at Alabama, Montinar worked as an assistant for head coach Everett Withers for the next five seasons.
Montinar first joined Withers at James Madison (2014-15) and then at Texas State (2016-18).
Withers is a veteran NFL and college coach who recently reunited with his former boss at North Carolina, veteran head coach Butch Davis, to become defensive coordinator for Davis' FlU team.
COMPLIMENT RECEIVED
In his rookie season with Green Bay in 2014, Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix paid Saban and Co. -- including the behind-the-scenes analyst Montinar -- praise on his Instagram page that introduced Montinar to a larger audience.
"I will never forget where I came from and all the lessons and techniques Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Greg Brown and one-on-one sessions Jules Montinar had with me on my reads and QB awareness and middle-of-the- field breaks. I owe Jules a lot. Only trying to get better. Thank you all."
PLAYER PROFILE
Montinar grew up in the Fort Myers-Naples area of southwest Florida and made his mark on the field as a hard-hitting safety for Naples High.
The Golden Eagles played the role of spoiler during Montinar's junior season in 2001, going 5-0 in the postseason to win the Class 5A state championship, the first in the program's history. Naples defeated Tampa Chamberlain in the championship game.
"I think the fans were waiting for something like this," Montinar told the Naples Daily News in 2011 on the 10-year anniversary. "We opened the eyes of other programs around the Naples area. That Naples High team came out of nowhere and won the whole thing."
He caught up with a more-famous resident from his neck of the Florida woods at a camp in Texas:
NUMBER OF NOTE
249 -- Career tackles for Montinar at Naples High, which made him the school-record holder after his final season in 2002.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We thought Jules was one of the best safeties in the state of Florida. Several other schools offered him, but we're real happy he picked us. He's going to be an outstanding player." -- West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez in 2003 when Montinar signed with the Mountaineers
COLLEGE CAREER
Montinar spent the 2003 and '04 seasons at West Virginia. Injuries curtailed his career and according to reports, off-the-field issues led to his transfer to Eastern Kentucky, where he rebounded to help the Colonels go 15-8 his final two seasons. As a redshirt junior, Montinar had 37 tackles, four fumble recoveries and an interception.
He joined the staff of Hood, who replaced Colonels head coach Danny Hope after the 2007 season, as a graduate assistant the next two years.
MONTINAR AT WORK
A glimpse of Montinar in action from a video produced during his three seasons as an assistant at Texas State University:
In his second season as a defensive graduate assistant at Eastern Kentucky, Colonels head coach Dean Hood asked Montinar to track down a highlight tape of a potential recruit from North Carolina.
"He comes in the next day and said, 'Coach, I've got that film,' '' Hood told the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press.
At the time, such a quick turnaround was unusual.
"We had that film here?" Hood asked.
"I got it on my website,'' Montinar responded.
With the help of an EKU student who was a web designer, Montinar created a website he envisioned as a social network for coaches, primarily as a streamlined way for high school coaches to upload highlights from a DVD onto the internet for easier access by college coaches.
The idea made a favorable impression on Hood.
"He's gonna be a great football coach,'' Hood said then. "He's organized, conscientious and a go-getter."
Here is a closer look at the 35-year-old Montinar, who has joined the Gators as an assistant coach:
GO-GETTER INDEED
Montinar received invaluable experience early in his coaching career when he got a position assisting Alabama head coach Nick Saban during the 2012 and '13 seasons.
Once again, Montinar used a dose of ingenuity to get the job.
Natty game -Clem vs Bama.. Let just say I'm rolling with Tide!! #Defense wins championships.#Nick Saban is a beast. pic.twitter.com/cXSgfDb1b0
— Jules Montinar (@CoachJules_UF) January 11, 2016
He spent the 2011 season as a graduate assistant at Purdue and noticed a graduate assistant/analyst position open at Alabama on the website FootballScoop.com. Montinar sent a resume and followed up several times about the opening with Linda Leoni, who is Saban's administrative assistant.
When it was time for the Crimson Tide to finalize the position, then-defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and director of player development Glenn Schumann narrowed down the list of candidates. Since Montinar had made a favorable impression on Leoni, she mentioned him as someone to remember.
They did.
"Kirby called me and two days later I was on the plane interviewing," Montinar told Athlon Sports. "The rest is history."
As other Crimson Tide analysts worked side-by-side with assistants, Montinar drew the assignment of coaching cornerbacks with Saban.
"You've got to bring your 'A' game every time," Montinar said. "There's nowhere to hide."
WORKING WITH WITHERS
Following his two seasons at Alabama, Montinar worked as an assistant for head coach Everett Withers for the next five seasons.
Montinar first joined Withers at James Madison (2014-15) and then at Texas State (2016-18).
Withers is a veteran NFL and college coach who recently reunited with his former boss at North Carolina, veteran head coach Butch Davis, to become defensive coordinator for Davis' FlU team.
COMPLIMENT RECEIVED
In his rookie season with Green Bay in 2014, Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix paid Saban and Co. -- including the behind-the-scenes analyst Montinar -- praise on his Instagram page that introduced Montinar to a larger audience.
"I will never forget where I came from and all the lessons and techniques Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Greg Brown and one-on-one sessions Jules Montinar had with me on my reads and QB awareness and middle-of-the- field breaks. I owe Jules a lot. Only trying to get better. Thank you all."
PLAYER PROFILE
Montinar grew up in the Fort Myers-Naples area of southwest Florida and made his mark on the field as a hard-hitting safety for Naples High.
The Golden Eagles played the role of spoiler during Montinar's junior season in 2001, going 5-0 in the postseason to win the Class 5A state championship, the first in the program's history. Naples defeated Tampa Chamberlain in the championship game.
"I think the fans were waiting for something like this," Montinar told the Naples Daily News in 2011 on the 10-year anniversary. "We opened the eyes of other programs around the Naples area. That Naples High team came out of nowhere and won the whole thing."
He caught up with a more-famous resident from his neck of the Florida woods at a camp in Texas:
Got better today, learned from "Prime time" Deion Sanders. Great camp at Texas A&M Commerce. pic.twitter.com/qqDFrMrz4R
— Jules Montinar (@CoachJules_UF) June 11, 2017
NUMBER OF NOTE
249 -- Career tackles for Montinar at Naples High, which made him the school-record holder after his final season in 2002.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"We thought Jules was one of the best safeties in the state of Florida. Several other schools offered him, but we're real happy he picked us. He's going to be an outstanding player." -- West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez in 2003 when Montinar signed with the Mountaineers
COLLEGE CAREER
Montinar spent the 2003 and '04 seasons at West Virginia. Injuries curtailed his career and according to reports, off-the-field issues led to his transfer to Eastern Kentucky, where he rebounded to help the Colonels go 15-8 his final two seasons. As a redshirt junior, Montinar had 37 tackles, four fumble recoveries and an interception.
He joined the staff of Hood, who replaced Colonels head coach Danny Hope after the 2007 season, as a graduate assistant the next two years.
MONTINAR AT WORK
A glimpse of Montinar in action from a video produced during his three seasons as an assistant at Texas State University:
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