Recruiting staffer returns to Florida after season at Florida State
By Andrew Olson
Published:
A familiar face appears to have re-joined Florida’s football staff. John “Hova” Herron is now Assistant Director of Player Personnel at Florida, according to his Twitter account (he is not yet listed on the Florida athletic department’s staff directory). It’s the second time Herron has bounced between rival Sunshine State schools.
In June 2016, Jim McElwain added Herron as director of on-campus recruiting. Herron’s basketball coaching background at South Dade (2002-09) and Southridge (2011-16) and ties to the South Florida area were expected to boost the football staff’s recruiting in the area. It seemed to work, as the number of South Florida prospects to commit to UF doubled from the 2016 to 2017 cycles.
When Dan Mullen was hired in late 2017, he made changes to Florida’s recruiting staff and did not retain Herron. Herron ended up on the Florida State staff.
On his Twitter account, Herron acknowledged the potential awkwardness of his return to UF.
— COACH HOVA (@CoachJHova) August 14, 2019
He also retweeted a fan tweet comparing his situation to Lebron James and Dwyane Wade going back to their former teams.
Lebron James went home, Dwayne Wade came home…. Now. The return of Hov. @CoachJHova pic.twitter.com/XV7YLWhOC7
— Shawn Rose (@ShawnFace) August 13, 2019
#NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/w74TkS7egD
— COACH HOVA (@CoachJHova) August 13, 2019
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
