GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida coach Jim McElwain had a busy offseason reshaping his staff with the departures of three assistants from the 2016 season. He promoted Randy Shannon to defensive coordinator and filled the open spots with Tim Skipper (moved from running backs to linebackers), Ja’Juan Seider (new running backs coach), Corey Bell (secondary) and Brad Davis (offensive line).

Last week, the NCAA’s Division 1 Council approved the 10th assistant for coaching staffs in 2018. It will be interesting to watch how teams decide to approach bringing on another staffer without filling a designated vacancy. There are plenty of approaches McElwain can take, and money will play a major factor. Obviously, how the Gators look on the field in 2017 will have a significant influence on the January hire.

Currently, three assistants handle some form of double duty. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier coaches quarterbacks, which is a typical dual responsibility for play-callers. Defensive coordinator Randy Shannon has been working with the safeties since he was promoted from his previous position of linebackers coach. Greg Nord handles tight ends and special teams. McElwain might be looking to find an assistant to lessen one of the three’s workload.

On the other hand, the third-year coach might be thinking about his own workload. McElwain might look for an associate head coach who can handle some of the operational aspects of his job, potentially giving him more time to focus on X’s and O’s. Shannon, a former head coach himself, was given the title of Associate Head Coach when he joined the staff for 2015, but he now has more on his plate as defensive coordinator.

There’s always room to improve on the recruiting trail, especially when your staff regularly battles Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and others for the Sunshine State’s top prospects. UF does not have a designated recruiting coordinator.

While the 10th assistant won’t be here until after the 2017 season, there are already obvious candidates. In honor of the Major League Baseball season recently getting underway, let’s rank some potential candidates using some diamond terminology.

Bloop single

Reaching first base is better than going back to the dugout. These are justifiable hires, but not the candidates who could potentially excite fans or recruits.

Mark Debastiani (Florida, defensive quality control): The Gators’ support staffer has been coaching for more than two decades, but his only on-field FBS experience came as Florida’s interim linebackers coach in the Outback Bowl. Debastiani also coached safeties at Norfolk State, potentially freeing up Shannon from that responsibility.

Marc Nudelberg (Nevada, special teams coordinator/offensive assistant): One of the initial support staff hires under McElwain, Nudelberg served as a special teams quality control coach. He’s now the special teams coordinator at Nevada, and would likely jump at the chance to come back to Florida (though it’s worth noting he’s a Florida State alumnus). Handing the special teams coordinator job to Nudelberg would allow Nord to focus on tight ends.

Drew Hughes (Florida, director of player personnel): Hughes has filled in on the recruiting trail when the Gators have been down an assistant under McElwain. In February, it was reported that he was leaving for South Carolina, but McElwain convinced him to stay at the last minute. If McElwain considers Hughes an asset on the trail, a promotion to on-field staff could be in the works.

Extra bases

Not necessarily home-run hires, but notable upside.

Marquel Blackwell (Idaho, running backs coach): The former USF quarterback was an initial support staff hire by McElwain in 2015. He’s a Pinellas County native and could help Florida’s recruiting efforts in the Tampa Bay area. McElwain boosted UF’s South Florida presence with his recent hires (Seider, Bell), but the Gators shouldn’t forget about the rest of the state. The recruiting upside and Blackwell’s recent stint in Gainesville make him a name to remember for the job.

Rob Sale (Arizona State, offensive line): The former Georgia offensive line coach wasn’t retained when Kirby Smart took over at UGA, but he’s linked up with another former Nick Saban assistant, Billy Napier, at Arizona State (if Napier weren’t a coordinator at ASU, he would be on this list, too). When the Gators faced the Bulldogs in 2015, McElwain called Sale “one of the finest offensive line coaches” in college football. Sale was an analyst at Alabama for three seasons (2009-11) while McElwain was offensive coordinator.

UF has an offensive line coach (Davis), but teams sometimes split offensive line coaching responsibilities into guards/center and tackles/tight ends a la Alabama in 2016. If Sale took on tight ends, that would allow Nord to focus on special teams.

Bradley Dale Peveto (Ole Miss, linebackers and special teams): In the 2016 recruiting cycle, Peveto, then on LSU’s staff, was ranked the No. 4 recruiter by the 247Sports Composite. Ed Orgeron decided to switch things up when he took over at LSU and dismissed Peveto, but the SEC veteran assistant would be a help for Florida at special teams and on the trail. He has also coached safeties before.

Mike Groh (Philadelphia Eagles, wide receivers): Groh was on staff for both of the Alabama’s national championships during McElwain’s tenure as Crimson Tide offensive coordinator. In 2009, Groh served as a graduate assistant. After a year as Louisville’s quarterbacks coach, Groh returned to UA as wide receivers coach in 2011. He also worked under Doug Nussmeier in 2012, another championship season for Saban’s squad.

Groh got a taste of coordinating as the Los Angeles Rams’ passing game coordinator last season. If Florida offered him some sort of “coordinator” role (or at least title), he might be interested in coming back to the college ranks. The only downside is that he hasn’t been on the recruiting trail since 2012.

Steve Spurrier Jr. (Western Kentucky, assistant head coach/quarterbacks): The son of the Head Ball Coach was rumored to be considered for an off-field job at Florida last year, but instead wound up at Oklahoma working for Spurrier family friend Bob Stoops. He’s now at WKU as an assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. More than just a famous name, Spurrier has two decades of experience as an assistant, many of those years alongside his father, who is back at UF as an ambassador and consultant for the athletic department.

McElwain seems to have embraced having the HBC hanging around the program, so the younger Spurrier joining the staff shouldn’t be an issue.

Home run

These coaches would be instant upgrades to the staff.

Dameyune Craig (Florida State, offensive analyst): When Craig, a veteran Auburn and LSU assistant, landed at FSU after Orgeron dismissed him in February, Seminoles writers were already talking about him eventually becoming the 10th full-time assistant on Jimbo Fisher’s staff.

It would take a bidding war to pull Craig from FSU, but until he’s actually named an on-field assistant, he’ll likely listen to offers. He was known as an ace recruiter at Auburn and previously at FSU, but Orgeron felt LSU needed to switch things up after National Signing Day.

Bringing Craig to Gainesville would be an impressive addition to the staff, but a long shot at best. Craig’s past suggests there’s a small chance he could bail on the Seminoles, as he left alma mater Auburn for rival LSU in 2016.

Dan Werner (Alabama, offensive analyst): McElwain has been down this road before, and it didn’t end well. It was no secret that McElwain wanted Mike Locksley to fill the first opening on his staff, but Saban managed to keep the recruiting ace at UA.

The thought was that with Shannon at defensive coordinator, Tim Skipper would slide over from running backs to linebacker and Locksley would take over as running backs coach. Saban, however, convinced Locksley, an analyst last season, that if he could be patient, there would be an on-field opening at Alabama due to multiple departures (Lane Kiffin, Mario Cristobal and later, Napier). Locksley chose the Crimson Tide over the Gators, and McElwain was left scrambling.

Werner was dismissed from Ole Miss – Hugh Freeze cited the need for a fresh start after a 5-7 season – despite the Rebels having the SEC’s top passing offense in 2016 (314.9 yards per game), even with Chad Kelly unable to finish the season. Werner has since landed at Alabama as an analyst. He will likely be offered the 10th spot on the Crimson Tide staff, but Florida, if interested, might be able to offer him a more advanced title.

Under McElwain, the staff has featured a “co-coordinator” on defense (previously Shannon, now defensive line coach Chris Rumph), but not a co-coordinator on offense, yet. Alabama has Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator and Locksley as co-offensive coordinator. If neither Locksley nor Daboll leave Tuscaloosa after the 2017 season, Werner would be pretty low on the UA totem pole. If Florida pursues Werner, the pitch is obvious.

McElwain has been loyal to Nussmeier despite Florida finishing ranked 112 and 116 nationally in total offense the past two seasons. If the Gators don’t show significant improvement in 2017, McElwain might want to bring on another offensive mind as the 10th assistant.