FootballScoop is proud to announce that David Turner is the 2019 FootballScoop Defensive Line Coach of the Year presented by AstroTurf as selected by prior winners.
Florida had one of college football's elite defenses in 2019. Only seven teams ranked among the top 10 in fewest points and yards allowed per game, the Gators among them.
You don't post those numbers without a strong front wall, and Florida's was one of the best.
The Gators ranked eighth nationally at 102.8 yards per game allowed on the ground, and their 3.19 yards per carry average was 13th. Only nine opposing rushers found the end zone, which tied for the fifth fewest nationally.
Only 41 rushes among 419 carries went for 10 or more yards, which tied for seventh fewest nationally.
Florida also boasted one of the most fearsome pass rushes in the nation. They brought the opposing quarterback to the ground 49 times in 13 games, a 3.77 per game average that ranked fourth nationally.
En route to their 11-2 record, Florida swept its in-state rivalry games, and the pass rush was a large reason why. The Gators registered 10 sacks in their Aug. 24 victory over Miami and sacked Florida State's quarterbacks eight times in a 40-17 triumph on Nov. 30.
Florida recorded 102 tackles for loss, more than one every fourth rushing attempt, which was 11th most nationally on a per game basis.
The Florida front was also best when it mattered most, as only 14 out of 35 red zone penetrations found the end zone, a 40 percent conversion rate that placed the Gators fourth nationally.
As a unit, Florida surrendered 3,963 yards on 809 plays -- good for 304.8 per game and 4.9 per play. The Gators permitted just 15.5 points per game, a 4.5 point per game improvement over last season. Florida limited five opponents to six or fewer points, including three shutouts.
Jonathan Greenard led the SEC with 9.5 sacks, and was named a First Team All-SEC defensive lineman for his efforts.
A Davidson graduate, Turner joined the profession at his alma mater in 1986. From there, he worked on staffs at NC State, Indiana U. of Pennsylvania, James Madison, Virginia, Minnesota, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Texas A&M and UTSA. The 2019 campaign marked Turner's first at Florida, but his fourth working for Dan Mullen.
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Larry Johnson [Ohio State], Randall Joyner [SMU], Joey McGuire and Frank Okam [Baylor], Todd Stroud [Miami], Kyle Tatum [UAB] and Turner) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Turner will receive his award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January.
Previous winners of the Defensive Line Coach of the Year award are Dick Bumpas (TCU, 2008), Jim Panagos (Central Florida, 2009), Bill Kirelawich (West Virginia, 2010), Brick Haley (LSU, 2011), Randy Hart (Stanford, 2012), Ron Burton (Michigan State, 2013), Craig Kuligowski (Missouri, 2014), Bo Davis (Alabama, 2015), Greg Mattison (Michigan, 2016), Larry Johnson (Ohio State, 2017), and Ron Burton and Chuck Bullough (Michigan State, 2018)
Since 1965, the AstroTurf brand has been driven by forward thinking ingenuity. Today AstroTurf continuously improves its system design to deliver playing surfaces with the most realistic, sport-specific performance, longest lasting durability, and sound player protection. For more information please visit AstroTurf.com
Created in 1999, FootballScoop.com is the premier source for coaching job information and has long been the most widely viewed website by coaches, athletic directors, strength & conditioning coaches, operations and equipment staff across America. As the leading coaching job information venue, FootballScoop.com serves our viewers’ needs by providing first hand, timely & accurate information for our audience. FootballScoop.com is the premier provider of official job postings.