DB Coach Torrian Gray rejoins Florida Gators

[Escambia94]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/CoachDanMullen/status/1087481465426849793?s=19
[/TWEET]
Torrian Gray was a three time All Big East cornerback at Virginia Tech from 1994 to 1996 before being selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft. He returned to his Alma mater in 2006 to coach defensive backs. Gray coached several players who played in the NFL including: Aaron Rouse, Brandon Flowers, Macho Harris, Kam Chancellor, Roc Carmichael, Jayron Hosley, Kyle Fuller, Antone Exum, Kyshoen Jarrett, Kendall Fuller, Chuck Clark, Terrell Edmunds, Greg Stroman, and Brandon Facyson.

In 2016, Gray coached defensive backs for the Florida Gators and had a part in recruiting cornerbacks Marco Wilson & CJ Henderson, linebacker Brad Stewart, and wide receiver James Robinson.

In 2017, Gray was named Defensive Backs coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins. At Washington he converted an undrafted wide receiver named Quinton Dunbar into one of the team's best cornerbacks.

On January 21, 2019, Gray will return to the Gators in time to coach some of the players he recruited.

 

[DRU2012]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/CoachDanMullen/status/1087481465426849793?s=19
[/TWEET]
Torrian Gray was a three time All Big East cornerback at Virginia Tech from 1994 to 1996 before being selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft. He returned to his Alma mater in 2006 to coach defensive backs. Gray coached several players who played in the NFL including: Aaron Rouse, Brandon Flowers, Macho Harris, Kam Chancellor, Roc Carmichael, Jayron Hosley, Kyle Fuller, Antone Exum, Kyshoen Jarrett, Kendall Fuller, Chuck Clark, Terrell Edmunds, Greg Stroman, and Brandon Facyson.

In 2016, Gray coached defensive backs for the Florida Gators and had a part in recruiting cornerbacks Marco Wilson & CJ Henderson, linebacker Brad Stewart, and wide receiver James Robinson.

In 2017, Gray was named Defensive Backs coach of the NFL's Washington Redskins. At Washington he converted an undrafted wide receiver named Quinton Dunbar into one of the team's best cornerbacks.

On January 21, 2019, Gray will return to the Gators in time to coach some of the players he recruited.

As noted elsewhere, one of the inevitably "sad but true" signs and consequences of success in major college football is attrition in your coaching ranks as money (from the pros) and/or ambition (some dream job they could never quite measure for in the past) shakes loose as a result of some of their association with that success.
The REAL measure of a program's ultimate success, the sign that they will keep ON moving on and UP, is their quick, smooth and flexible response to such losses--that they "reload" by bringing in fresh personnel who don't "replace" so much as change, potentially even UPGRADE "the TEAM".
So appears to be the trend now at UF with Muchamp & Co.:
Stability and continuity, along with the particular strengths and talent that got the ones we lost here in the first place, are/were invaluable assets we didn't want or aim to lose--but point here is, IT HAPPENS: How you react to it, how ready you were/are, and how able to somehow make it work out regardless, is the true test.
Jury's still out, mid-to-long-term, BUT:
So far, so good.

 

[Escambia94]

As noted elsewhere, one of the inevitably "sad but true" signs and consequences of success in major college football is attrition in your coaching ranks as money (from the pros) and/or ambition (some dream job they could never quite measure for in the past) shakes loose as a result of some of their association with that success.
The REAL measure of a program's ultimate success, the sign that they will keep ON moving on and UP, is their quick, smooth and flexible response to such losses--that they "reload" by bringing in fresh personnel who don't "replace" so much as change, potentially even UPGRADE "the TEAM".
So appears to be the trend now at UF with Muchamp & Co.:
Stability and continuity, along with the particular strengths and talent that got the ones we lost here in the first place, are/were invaluable assets we didn't want or aim to lose--but point here is, IT HAPPENS: How you react to it, how ready you were/are, and how able to somehow make it work out regardless, is the true test.
Jury's still out, mid-to-long-term, BUT:
So far, so good.

Torrian Gray has three qualities that make him a good fit for quite some time at Florida:

1. He is originally from Lakeland, Florida. He wanted to get closer to home, and Gainesville boasts the largest concentration of Lakeland residents outside of the city of Lakeland.
2. He is familiar with the Gator program. He recruited or helped recruit multiple guys who are still on the roster from 2017. He coached Teez Tabor (back when he went by Jalen Tabor), Quincy Wilson, Duke Dawson, Marcus Maye, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (back when he was just Chauncey Gardner), Jeawon Taylor, and C.J. McWilliams (back when he went by Christopher McWilliams).
3. He used to play for Todd Grantham at Virginia Tech.

If you notice, the coaches that left had no strong connection to Dan Mullen or Todd Grantham. The remaining coaches are all friends who go back pretty far, and who bring in younger coaches who played for them.

 

[Escambia94]

Here are some interesting tidbits from the official Florida Gators site:

• Torrian Gray was "recruited" back to Florida by the very same athletes that he recruited to Florida! Jeawon Taylor and Marco Wilson reached out to Torrian and asked if he would be willing to coach at Florida again!
• Torrian moved his in-laws from Virginia to Gainesville back in 2017, and they have remained here. With his in-laws in Gainesville and his family in Lakeland I do not see how he can ever leave.
• He is already well liked by the coaches and players alike

 

[DRU2012]

Torrian Gray has three qualities that make him a good fit for quite some time at Florida:

1. He is originally from Lakeland, Florida. He wanted to get closer to home, and Gainesville boasts the largest concentration of Lakeland residents outside of the city of Lakeland.
2. He is familiar with the Gator program. He recruited or helped recruit multiple guys who are still on the roster from 2017. He coached Teez Tabor (back when he went by Jalen Tabor), Quincy Wilson, Duke Dawson, Marcus Maye, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (back when he was just Chauncey Gardner), Jeawon Taylor, and C.J. McWilliams (back when he went by Christopher McWilliams).
3. He used to play for Todd Grantham at Virginia Tech.

If you notice, the coaches that left had no strong connection to Dan Mullen or Todd Grantham. The remaining coaches are all friends who go back pretty far, and who bring in younger coaches who played for them.

Here are some interesting tidbits from the official Florida Gators site:

• Torrian Gray was "recruited" back to Florida by the very same athletes that he recruited to Florida! Jeawon Taylor and Marco Wilson reached out to Torrian and asked if he would be willing to coach at Florida again!
• Torrian moved his in-laws from Virginia to Gainesville back in 2017, and they have remained here. With his in-laws in Gainesville and his family in Lakeland I do not see how he can ever leave.
• He is already well liked by the coaches and players alike

This is ALL the very kinds of news and overall trend that not only makes us better, but uniquely marks the KIND of "better" that (as I've tried to note) distinguishes us from other programs' approaches and philosophies. There are all kinds of ways to "improve quality" in a program; Thanks to a positive, more and more a tighter atmosphere of friendship and shared goals and values, there appears a true potential for UF Football to be a place that talented people want to come to, then find they want to stay. I am beginning to feel very good, better and better about our future as a result.