Florida football hires Jonathan Decoster as new assistant offensive line coach

Florida football announced the hiring of Jonathan Decoster as its new assistant offensive line coach on Thursday.

Decoster replaces Darnell Stapleton, who left the Florida Gators to take a job as an assistant offensive line coach with the Washington Commanders.

Decoster has spent the last three years as a quality control coach and offensive assistant in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns. He also has SEC experience, having worked as tight ends coach at LSU from 2017-19.

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 “Jon has been around some of the greatest minds of the game throughout his career," Florida football coach Billy Napier said in a release. "His NFL and SEC experience, paired with his ability to teach and connect with players on and off the field, add incredible value to our team.”

In Cleveland, Decoster helped the Browns lead the NFL in rushing average in 2021 with a 5.09 yards per carry mark, the highest average by a Browns team since 1966. The team's 6,090 scrimmage yards were the fourth-most by the club in a single season.

A Mirimar native, Decoster was a four-year starter at right tackle at Louisiana (2007-11). He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Nevada (2013-14), where he helped develop future Browns All-Pro guard Joel Bitonio. From there, he took his first full-time coaching job at West Virginia State, where he served as offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator, strength coach and travel coordinator from 2015-16.

At Florida, Decoster will work with Florida co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Rob Sale to develop an offensive line that returns three starters: center Jake Slaughter, left tackle Austin Barber and right tackle Dameion George Jr.

“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to be back in my home state and become a part of what coach Napier is building in Gainesville,” Decoster said in the release. “For the past three years, I was fortunate to learn from one of the greatest NFL offensive line coaches of all time in Bill Callahan. I can’t wait to work with Coach Sale to make the Gators offensive line the best version of themselves on and off the field.”