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Florida DC Todd Grantham responds when asked about soon-to-expire contract
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has been a divisive figure throughout much of his time in Gainesville.
Grantham has been by the side of Dan Mullen since 2017, overseeing Mississippi State’s defense that year before following his boss to Florida ahead of the 2018 season. The Gators defense finished 2nd in a number of key defensive categories in the SEC in 2019 but dropped to 8th in 2020 despite an appearance in the SEC Championship Game, a season that saw them lose a track meet against Alabama in Atlanta that year and provided the lasting image of defensive back Marco Wilson throwing the shoe of an LSU player, ultimately resulting in the Gators losing the game.
The 55-year-old’s job was thought to be in jeopardy, but he returned in 2021 after Mullen parted ways with several of his assistants. But it’s notably the final year of Grantham’s contract, something he was asked about as Florida readies itself to face Georgia in the Cocktail Party on Saturday in Jacksonville.
#Gators defensive coordinator Todd Grantham on his contract expiring at season's end: "I'm confident with where we are. Leading up the (LSU) game, we were playing pretty well. You look at SEC stats, and we're second or third in most major stats."
— G. Allan Taylor (@GAllanTaylor) October 25, 2021
It’s not known what “major stats” Grantham’s referring to: the Gators rank 7th in the conference in total yards allowed per game, and while they have yielded the 4th-least passing yards, they’re 7th in rushing yards allowed per outing and 6th in points allowed. Against LSU on Oct. 16, they surrendered 321 rushing yards.
Of course, Saturday’s opponent — Grantham’s one-time employer – sets the standard for the SEC and the entire country. So will Mullen ultimately part ways with Grantham at the close of the season? Only time will tell.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
