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Former Gators defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin joins Harbaugh at Michigan
By Drew Laing
Published:
It didn’t take very long for former Florida Gator defensive coordinator and interim head coach DJ Durkin to land on his feet.
According to FootballScoop, Durkin will become the defensive coordinator at Michigan, joining Jim Harbaugh, whom Durkin coached under when the two were at Stanford.
This report was later confirmed by multiple media outlets.
Durkin wasn’t retained by new Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain, who opted for Mississippi State DC Geoff Collins, despite early reports suggesting Durkin would be one of the coaches to remain with the Gators under McElwain.
He was the defensive coordinator for the Gators for the past two seasons and in both seasons Florida ranked in the top-15 nationally in total defense.
Durkin was also tabbed as the Gators’ interim head coach following the official dismissal of former head coach Will Muschamp. He coached the Gators to a 28-20 Birmingham Bowl victory over ECU.
In addition to his coaching ability, Durkin is a respected recruiter. He took home Rivals.com’s National Recruiter of the Year in 2012.
He was reportedly targeted by a number of other programs for a defensive coordinator role before choosing to coach at Michigan.
Drew Laing will be providing analysis and insight on Florida, Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina.
