Patrick Toney, Florida co-DC, reportedly leaving Gators for job with NFL team

Patrick Toney was a co-defensive coordinator and Florida’s defensive play-caller last season under coach Billy Napier.

His Gator defense finished 12th in the SEC in total yards per game, giving up 411.0 per contest. It finished tied for 10th in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing 28.8 points per game.

It appears his time in Gainesville is coming to an end, though. Per ESPN’s Chris Low, Toney is heading to the NFL and is in negotiations for a job with the Arizona Cardinals:

Patrick Toney, @GatorsFB's co-DC and play-caller last season, is in negotiations to join the NFL's Arizona Cardinals as a defensive assistant, sources tell ESPN, and Florida's Billy Napier is targeting newly hired @AlabamaFTBL assistant Austin Armstrong as Toney's replacement.

— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) February 22, 2023

The Cardinals recently hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon as their new head coach, replacing Kliff Kingsbury.

Per Low, Napier is looking into a current Alabama assistant, Austin Armstrong, as a potential replacement for Toney.

We’ll see who Napier ultimately hires to fill Toney’s role and how the Florida defense fares in 2023 and beyond. For now, though, there’s a hole to fill in Gainesville as the spring practice season quickly approaches.