Texas A&M Hiring Former Florida DL Coach Sean Spencer

Former Florida defensive line coach Sean Spencer is being hired in the same role by Texas A&M, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported late Sunday evening.

Spencer's imminent move to College Station, to join new Aggies head coach Mike Elko's inaugural coaching staff, came to light less than one week after his ousting from Gainesville by Florida's Billy Napier. 

Before his signing on with UF almost two years ago, Spencer had briefly joined Elko's Duke coaching staff following a two-year stint with the New York Giants in the NFL.

UF elected not to renew Spencer's contract — with terms scheduled to expire on Jan. 31, 2024 — as the team's defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator following the 2023 season, dismissing him and secondary coach Corey Raymond from the coaching staff last Monday. 

Each assistant was let go after Florida finished the campaign with the No. 11-ranked team defense in the Southeastern Conference, having allowed 382.3 yards per game on the year, 155.6 of which were generated on the ground. UF gave up 27.6 points per game, which also ranked No. 11 in the SEC. 

The Gators' 22 sacks in 2023 were good for third-worst in the conference, regressing from 23 sacks posted in 2022. Technically, however, UF's sacks-per-game count increased from 1.77 to 1.83 as the program played one fewer game this season than last. 

Although the on-field results from Spencer's unit were subpar, he played a crucial role in the Gators' influx of talent across the defensive front since his Jan. 2022 hiring, particularly from the high school level. 

Spencer can be credited for attracting the following defensive linemen to Florida since his hiring, either as their primary or secondary recruiter, according to 247Sports: Transfers Cam Jackson and Caleb Banks, and high school signees Kelby Collins, TJ Searcy, Kamran James, Will Norman, Gavin Hill and Jack Pyburn. 

Additionally, Spencer's recruiting efforts helped Florida acquire the class of 2024 defensive commitments of LJ McCray, Adarius Hayes and Michai Boireau, although Boireau rejoined Florida's haul of prospects after Spencer's departure. Boireau had previously been pledged to UF over the summer. 

This breaking news story will be updated as further details emerge.