Florida hiring Washington linebackers coach Robert Bala

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida is hiring Washington linebackers coach Robert Bala, Gators Online has confirmed. Bala will work with UF’s inside linebackers and interviewed on Wednesday.

A team spokesperson told Gators Online that Bala was interviewing for a defensive analyst position, but Bala will also reportedly have a Co-DC title.

The status of executive head coach Ron Roberts remained unchanged, according to a program source. He will continue to call the plays on defense, but Bala will work with the linebackers.

“We potentially here could hire another coach on defense, you know, and let Ron kind of walk around, much like we did the last two-thirds of the year,” Florida coach Billy Napier said Wednesday. “I think that’s kind of when we started making progress.

“So, I think just the expertise and the feedback and having eyes on each position from a meeting, individual, I think that part was healthy for us. So, yeah, I think we’re in the inside linebacker coach world, that (hire) could happen.”

Robert Bala is a well-traveled assistant, however his experience as a coach at the Power 4 level is limited to two seasons. In addition to working at Washington last year, he was the linebackers coach at Alabama in 2023.

Per his official Washington Huskies bio, “In 2023, Bala mentored Crimson Tide linebacker Dallas Turner, a consensus All-America and first-team All-SEC selection. Turner led Alabama with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, helping guide the team to a 12-2 overall record, the SEC championship and a berth in the College Football Playoffs. Bala went to ‘Bama after having spent the 2022 season as a defensive analyst at Liberty.

“During his season at Liberty, Bala helped coach a defense that finished first nationally in tackles for loss per game (9.3) and No. 3 in sacks per game (3.46). The Flames more than doubled their turnovers gained in 2022 from the previous season, ranking 11th nationally in turnovers gained (24) and 18th in passes intercepted (14).”

Previously, Bala had stops in various roles with the Oakland Raiders, Southern Utah, Ottawa, Arizona, Palomar College and Snow Junior College.

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