Austin Armstrong, the co-defensive coordinator for Florida football, has informed the Gators’ coaching staff that he has accepted the role of defensive coordinator at the University of Houston, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.
Armstrong has been a major reason why Florida’s defense has found success this season.
During this past season, Armstrong helped the Florida defense notably enhance their tackling efficiency and pass rush. The Gators ranked in the upper half of the SEC for total defense, a significant step up from prior years.
In 2023, Armstrong joined the Gators’ coaching staff and over the last two seasons, he has been an integral part of the Gators’ defensive strategy, contributing to the development of a robust defensive unit.
Prior to his tenure at Florida, Armstrong spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Southern Miss. In 2021, Armstrong was the youngest defensive coordinator in the FBS at just 28 years of age.
During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Armstrong served as an assistant defensive line coach under Billy Napier at Louisiana-Lafayette. In 2019, he served under Kirby Smart as a defensive quality control coach at Georgia.
Armstrong returned to Louisiana-Lafayette in 2020 and served as the inside linebackers coach.
The defensive coordinator led all of Florida’s assistant coaches salary-wise in 2024, earning $1.2 million per season which ranked 45th in the country. Financial details of his new deal have not been released yet.
With Armstrong’s departure, Florida will likely lean towards Ron Roberts (co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach) to take full control of the defense.
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