With his focus as an assistant coach being on the offensive line, John Hevesy has brought a unique perspective as co-offensive coordinator.
John Hevesy now enters his fourth season with the Gators, after being named Florida's running game coordinator, in addition to his role overseeing the offensive line corps. Hevesy also spent his first two seasons in his return to Gainesville as co-offensive coordinator.
Hevesy, who had just finished his ninth overall season on Head Coach Dan Mullen’s staff at Mississippi State before joining the Gators, spent three years (2015-17) as the Bulldogs’ co-offensive coordinator in addition to overseeing the offensive line--which he had done since 2009.
With over 25 years of coaching experience at Trinity, Brown, Syracuse, Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and Mississippi State, Hevesy returned to Gainesville with a wealth of knowledge on the offensive line and running game. Since the 2013 season, 15 of Hevesy’s protégés have reached the NFL.
Florida (2018-Present)
In 2020 the offensive line unit anchored one of the most prolific offenses in the nation. The line provided Heisman Trophy Finalist Kyle Trask the time to help the Gators lead the nation in passing yards per game (378.6) while ranking eighth nationally in yards per play (7.28) and ninth in yards per game (509.8).
Working with Trask for a second season as the starter, the comfort level showed as Trask threw for 4,283 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2020. The Manvel, Texas native led the FBS in total touchdowns (46) and touchdown passes (43), while ranking second in passing yards (4,283).
In the season opener at Ole Miss, the Florida offense set a school record for yards against an SEC opponent (642 yards).
On the rushing front, both Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis averaged 4.7 yards per carry while Emory Jones exploded for 6.8 yards per rush. Against rival Georgia, UF running backs combined for 212 receiving yards on 10 catches, led by Davis’ five for 100 yards.
Despite having a notably young front line in 2019, Hevesy's offensive line played to their strengths and paved the way for an excellent season.
The offensive line gave quarterback Kyle Trask ample time in the pocket to deliver performances not seen since Tim Tebow was on campus.
Trask ranked 15th nationally in passer rating at 156.09, becoming the first Gator to finish inside the top 35 nationally in passer rating since 2009 when Tim Tebow’s 164.2 rating led the nation.
Additionally, against No. 5 LSU, Trask threw three touchdowns and then followed it up with a career-high four touchdowns at South Carolina, making him the first Gator since Tebow to throw at least three touchdowns in consecutive games.
The offensive line was also responsible for the Gators’ 21 rushing touchdowns this season. Of those 21 rushing touchdowns, four different Gators -- Perine, Pierce, Emory Jones, Trask – had at least four rushing touchdowns for the first time since 2008, when five Gators had at least that many.
Overall, the offense that Hevesy oversees with Dan Mullen and Billy Gonzales amassed 5,597 total yards, the most since the Gators 6,410 yards in 2009. 3,910 of those yards were accounted for in the passing game and were the most since the 2001 season (4,913).
The Gators had 400-plus yards of total offense in eight games, averaging 430.5 yards per game, the most 400-plus yard games since the 2008 season.
In 2018, Hevesy oversaw a rushing attack that ranked fourth in the Southeastern Conference in yards per carry (5.29) and yards per game (213.15). Overall, UF totaled 2,771 yards rushing on 526 attempts during the season. That mark passed the 2007 Gators (2,602) for the program’s third-highest rushing yardage total since the start of 1990; only the 2008 Gators (3,326) and 2009 Gators (3,105) had higher totals.
In addition, UF rushed for 200-plus yards nine times, which tied the 2008 Gators for the highest number of times it hit that mark in a season since the start of 1996. For perspective, Florida combined for eight 200-yard rushing games from 2015-17.
With Florida’s offense under the direction of Dan Mullen and co-offensive coordinators Billy Gonzales and Hevesy, Florida amassed 425-plus total yards six times in 2018, tying the 2009 Gators for the most such games in a season since 2008, when it did it eight times those three on that previous UF staff.
In contrast, UF logged 425-plus yards in a combined total of five games from 2015-17.
Meanwhile, the Gators finished with 350-plus total yards 10 times, which tied the 2007 and 2009 Gators for the second most times UF did that in a season since the start of 2005; only the 2008 Gators (12 games) had more in that span.
Hevesy created continuity up front as LT Martez Ivey, LG Tyler Jordan, C Nick Buchanan, RG Fred Johnson and RT Jawaan Taylor started 11 of Florida’s 13 games together. That had not been achieved since 2007.
.
Overall, Florida’s offensive line allowed just 18 sacks over the course of the entire season, which ranked 20th in the country and third among SEC teams.
Individually, Ivey garnered Second Team All-SEC honors from the AP and league’s Coaches. Meanwhile, Athlon Sports named Ivey to its All-SEC Third Team and Taylor to its Second Team.
Mississippi State (2009-17)
In 2017, Hevesy oversaw the third-best rushing attack in the SEC (249.6 yards per game), while Mississippi State led the league in rushing attempts (579). In addition, the Bulldogs’ offensive line surrendered the fewest sacks (11) in the conference. The 11 sacks allowed ranked sixth nationally.
Three of Hevesy’s former linemen were on NFL rosters during the 2016 season, including Gabe Jackson (Oakland Raiders), Dillon Day (Denver Broncos) and Blaine Clausell (Carolina Panthers). Jackson has developed into one of the top guards in the league and earned the NFL’s highest performance-based bonus for a veteran player in 2016. He played all but one offensive snap during his third NFL season.
MSU has produced three Kent Hull Trophy winners since 2013, an award that recognizes the top offensive lineman in the state of Mississippi. Rankin won it in 2017, offensive tackle Justin Senior in 2016, while Jackson was the inaugural recipient following the 2013 season. In addition, Hevesy’s guidance has produced a first-team All-SEC offensive lineman for MSU in four out of the last seven years.
The top seven single-season total offensive yard marks have all been set in Hevesy’s tenure on staff, including the third-best mark during the 2016 season (5,723 yards). Despite a rash of injuries on the offensive line, the Bulldogs proved to be one of the dominant rushing units in the Southeastern Conference. MSU racked up 2,997 rushing yards, representing the third-highest total in single-season school history. The Bulldogs allowed the second-fewest sacks in the conference (18). Quarterback Nick Fitzgerald and running back Aeris Williams became one of the top tandems in the nation, while Senior and Rankin paved the way.
Rankin was recognized as the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Bulldogs’ blowout of No. 4 Texas A&M on Nov. 5, 2016, in which the squad racked up 365 rushing yards. MSU did not allow a sack against an Aggie defensive line that featured the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. It was the most rushing yards allowed by a John Chavis defense since 2010. Rankin was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
MSU closed the regular season in a dramatic fashion, setting a school record for rushing yards in an SEC game with 465 in a 55-20 Egg Bowl victory in Oxford. The Bulldogs averaged an astounding 9.72 yards per carry, which ranked third all-time in SEC history in conference games. It was the first time in MSU annals that the program produced a 200-yard rusher (Fitzgerald) and a 100-yard rusher (Williams) in the same game.
The 2015 campaign saw the Bulldogs reach a bowl for a sixth straight year and cap a nine-win season with a 51-28 blowout of NC State in the Belk Bowl. It marked the first time in school history that MSU produced back-to-back seasons of at least nine victories. The Bulldogs ranked third in the Southeastern Conference in total offense, putting up 460.5 yards per game, a mark that also ranked among the top 30 nationally.
The Bulldogs celebrated their first 10-win regular season in program history in 2014 while reaching the Orange Bowl for the first time since 1941. During the season, the Maroon and White reached No. 1 in the polls for the first time and were atop the inaugural College Football Playoff rankings. MSU’s offense shattered 15 single-season team records, including total offense (6,679), points (480), touchdowns (60) and first downs (334).
The Bulldogs also were among the nation’s top 25 teams in fewest tackles for loss allowed in 2014. MSU led the SEC in total offense for the first time since 1982, putting up a school-record 513.8 yards per game. That figure ranked eighth nationally. Auburn was the next closest with 485.0 yards per contest. The Bulldogs were also third in the league in rushing offense, tallying over 233 yards per game on the ground.
Senior Ben Beckwith recorded the fourth All-America honor in five years for an MSU offensive lineman after a tremendous 2014 campaign. Under Hevesy’s tutelage, Beckwith went from walk-on to first-team All-SEC in his final season, while also being the program’s first finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy. Beckwith became the league’s only three-time SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week in 2014. He showed his versatility by playing multiple positions on the line at times during the year.
In 2013, Gabe Jackson, a once three-star high school recruit, became a first-team All-American and a first-team All-SEC recipient. He was selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
In his first two seasons, Hevesy tutored left tackle Derek Sherrod, an All-American selection and a first round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Sherrod spent four seasons in the NFL.
Florida (2005-08)
Hevesy has worked with coach Dan Mullen for over a decade and went to MSU after four years as a member of the University of Florida coaching staff, where he spent time working with both the tight ends and the offensive line.
Hevesy coached in four BCS bowls prior to MSU, including Florida’s 2006 and 2008 BCS title game victories. Hevesy assisted with a Florida offensive line which allowed only 16.0 sacks in 14 games and paved the way for a rushing attack that averaged more than 231 yards per game.
The 2008 Gators were especially explosive, with UF’s tight ends accounting for 38 receptions, 445 yards, and five touchdowns, while the offense scored an average of 43.6 points per game. In 14 games played, Florida’s offensive line allowed just 16 sacks.
In 2007, he tutored future NFL tight end Cornelius Ingram. Ingram’s seven touchdowns receiving matched Andre Caldwell’s team-leading total and his 14.9 years per reception were the most of any Gator who had double-digit catches. That season, the Gator offensive line surrendered just 13.0 sacks in 13 games, tying for the second-lowest total in the SEC and fifth nationally.
Despite entering the 2006 season with one player having started a game at his opening-day position, the UF offensive line allowed only 23 sacks on the year, and yielded one-or-less sacks seven times during the campaign. Hevesy showed a penchant for molding individual talents on the interior of the Gators’ line. Starting centers Mike Degory and Steve Rissler earned first-team All-SEC honors as seniors, and Drew Miller earned honorable mention All-SEC.
Utah (2003-04)
As the offensive line coach at Utah in 2004, Hevesy directed the front line for one of the most prolific offenses in the country, as the Utes ranked third nationally in scoring, total offense and passing efficiency. Behind the blocking of Hevesy’s group, Utah scored on 62-of-67 trips to the red zone en route to an undefeated season and a victory in a BCS bowl game.
Bowling Green (2001-02)
Prior to his arrival in Salt Lake City, Hevesy coached the tackles and tight ends at Bowling Green from 2001-02. In his first year on campus, the line allowed 50 percent fewer sacks than the year before, while the 2002 unit blocked for skill players that amassed more than 5,000 yards of total offense.
Brown (1998-2000)
During a three-year stint at Brown from 1998-2000, Hevesy coached an offensive line that blocked for 13 school records and saw three of its members earn multiple All-Ivy selections.
Background
A three-year starter on the offensive line at the University of Maine from 1991-93, Hevesy is married to the former Kelli Rogers. The couple has three children -- Jack, Taylor and Madison.
Coaching History
| Seasons |
School/Team |
Title/Position Coached |
| 2018-Present |
Florida |
Co-Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line |
| 2014-17 |
Mississippi State |
Co-Offensive Coordinator / Running Game / Offensive Line |
| 2009-13 |
Mississippi State |
Running Game Coordinator / Offensive Line |
| 2008 |
Florida |
Tight Ends / Assistant Offensive Line |
| 2005-07 |
Florida |
Assistant Offensive Line |
| 2003-04 |
Utah |
Offensive Line |
| 2001-02 |
Bowling Green |
Offensive Tackles / Tight Ends |
| 1998-2000 |
Brown |
Offensive Line |
| 1997 |
Syracuse |
Graduate Assistant |
| 1996 |
Brown |
Offensive Tackles / Tight Ends |
| 1994-95 |
Trinity |
Offensive Line |
Postseason History
| Season |
Bowl Game |
Opponent |
Result |
| 2020 |
Cotton Bowl |
Oklahoma |
L, 55-20 |
| 2020 |
SEC Championship |
Alabama |
L, 52-46 |
| 2019 |
Orange Bowl |
Virginia |
W, 36-28 |
| 2018 |
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl |
Michigan |
W, 41-15 |
| 2016 |
St. Petersburg Bowl |
Miami (OH) |
W, 17-16 |
| 2015 |
Belk |
NC State |
W, 51-28 |
| 2014 |
Orange |
Georgia Tech |
L, 49-34 |
| 2013 |
Liberty |
Rice |
W, 44-7 |
| 2013 |
Gator |
Northwestern |
L, 34-20 |
| 2011 |
Music City |
Wake Forest |
W, 23-17 |
| 2011 |
Gator |
Michigan |
W, 52-14 |
| 2009 |
BCS National Championship |
Oklahoma |
W, 24-14 |
| 2008 |
Capital One Bowl |
Michigan |
L, 41-35 |
| 2007 |
BCS National Championship |
Ohio State |
W, 41-14 |
| 2006 |
Outback Bowl |
Iowa |
W, 31-24 |
| 2005 |
Fiesta Bowl |
Pittsburgh |
W, 35-7 |
| 2003 |
Liberty Bowl |
Southern Miss |
W, 17-0 |
| 1997 |
Fiesta Bowl |
Kansas State |
L, 35-18 |
NFL Players (Round Drafted)
OT Stone Forsythe (6th) - Florida '21 - Seattle Seahawks
WR Van Jefferson (2nd) - Florida '20 - Los Angeles Rams
RB LaMical Perine (4th) - Florida '20 - New York Jets
WR Freddie Swain (6th) - Florida '20 - Seattle Seahawks
WR Tyrie Cleveland (7th) - Florida '20 - Denver Broncos
OT Jawaan Taylor (2nd) - Florida ' 19 - Jacksonville Jaguars
C Elgton Jenkins (2nd) - MSU '19 - Green Bay Packers
RB Jordan Scarlett (5th) - Florida '19 - Carolina Panthers
OT Martinas Rankin (3rd) – Mississippi State ’18 – Houston Texans
TE Jordan Thomas (6th) – Mississippi State ’18 – Houston Texans
OT Justin Senior (6th) – Mississippi State ’17 – Seattle Seahawks
QB Dak Prescott (4th) – Mississippi State ’16 – Dallas Cowboys
TE Malcolm Johnson (6th) – Mississippi State ’15 – Cleveland Browns
RB Josh Robinson (6th) – Mississippi State ’15 – Indianapolis Colts
OG Gabe Jackson (3rd) – Mississippi State ’14 – Oakland Raiders
RB Vick Ballard (5th) – Mississippi State ’12 – Indianapolis Colts
OT Derek Sherrod (1st) – Mississippi State ’11 – Green Bay Packers
C Mike Pouncey (1st) – Florida ’11 – Miami Dolphins
OT Marcus Gilbert (2nd) – Florida ’11 – Pittsburgh Steelers
OT Marcus Hurt (7th) – Florida ’11 – Washington Redskins
RB Anthony Dixon (6th) – Mississippi State ’10 – San Francisco 49ers
C Maurkice Pouncey (1st) – Florida ’10 – Pittsburgh Steelers
TE Cornelius Ingram (5th) – Florida ’09 – Philadelphia Eagles
OG Chris Kemoeatu (6th) – Utah ’05 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Personal Information
Hometown: Madison, Conn.
Education: 1995 – Bachelor in Education from Maine
Wife: Kelli
Children: Jack, Taylor and Madison
Birthdate: May 2, 1971
