The Florida Gators are losing a key football assistant. Gators Online can confirm that defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong is leaving to become the defensive coordinator at Houston.
Armstrong is in his second season with the Gators. In 2023, he ran the defense. But in 2024, those duties were split in some capacity with Ron Roberts, whom Florida hired last offseason as executive head coach/co-defensive coordinator. Other members of the Florida coaching staff were made aware of this development Friday in a staff meeting.
Houston coach Willie Fritz lost his defensive coordinator Shiel Wood to Texas Tech earlier this week.
Prior to arriving at Florida, Armstrong was Nick Saban’s inside linebackers coach at Alabama for about a month during the offseason in 2023 before Florida hired him as DC. Before that, he spent two seasons as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Southern Miss. In 2021, he was the youngest defensive coordinator in the country for FBS schools.
In 2023, the Gators were 69th in total defense, allowing 382.3 yards per game. Additionally, they were 75th in scoring defense at 27.6. This season, Florida is 91st in total defense (392.2) and 63rd in scoring defense (24.33) against what many consider a more difficult schedule. The Gators have one game remaining — they play Tulane (9-4) next week in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Fla.
In his career, Armstrong also has spent time at Louisiana (linebackers coach, 2020; graduate assistant, 2017-18), Georgia (quality control, 2019) and West Georgia (graduate assistant, 2016).
