BMF. Thanks for the correction, but the Wikipedia entry you seem to be citing is incorrect. Although I haven't been able to confirm Amadee at UF in 1979 yet, the OC at UT that year was Joe Avezzano. He came with Majors from Pittsburg in 1977 and stayed through 1979, according to multiple sources. I'll keep digging.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/19...dee-offense-last-season-defensive-backs-coach
Amedee To Make Play-calling A One-coach Show At Florida
January 13, 1988|By IRA WINDERMAN, Staff Writer
GAINESVILLE -- With Florida`s former offensive coordinator at his side, newly hired Lynn Amedee left little doubt about who would be calling the offensive shots this year for the Gators.
Handling his introduction with the aplomb of a head coach, Amedee met with the Florida media for the first time Tuesday along with new defensive coordinator Gary Darnell and new defensive line coach Rex Norris.
The introductions were made by Florida coach Galen Hall, who had handled the offense the past four seasons. Tuesday, though, it sounded as if Amedee had been named co-coach, instead of offensive coordinator.
``I will bring in our offense from A to Z,`` Amedee said of the system he used the past three years at Texas A&M. ``That`s how I wanted it. We will be a completely different offensive football team than Florida has been the past couple of years. We will line up with one back 70 percent of the time. We will talk about throwing the ball first and running the ball second.``
Amedee made it clear that Florida`s offense will be his his offense. Last year, fired receivers and quarterbacks coach Mike Heimerdinger would send plays from the press box and Hall would have the final say on the field. Next season, Hall said the decisions will be Amedee`s.
``I liked the challenge of calling the plays,`` Hall said. ``But it`s something I felt I had to change.``
Florida ranked seventh in the 10-team Southeastern Conference in total offense last season. It was sixth in passing and eighth in rushing.
The job will be the 12th in the past 23 years for Amedee, whose only head coaching experience was at Division II Tennessee-Martin in 1980 and `81.
``I`m 46 years old now and I felt it was time to settle down,`` he said. ``But again, all the moves you make, you hope will improve you as a football coach.``
Amedee enjoyed his greatest success at Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, where he guided the offense in 1983 and `84. At Texas A&M, Amedee worked with future NFL running backs Anthony Toney and Roger Vick, and said that should help him develop a system geared to Gators record-breaking tailback Emmitt Smith.
``We will not sit in the I-formation every snap,`` he said. ``We`ll be wide open. I`ll promise you that.``
Wide open for criticism this year will be Darnell, who inherits the SEC`s top-ranked defense after leading the Wake Forest defense last season.
``I really don`t think you can let that bother you,`` Darnell said. ``I know we`ll be good here, because we`ve never had anything but that.``
Unlike Amedee, Darnell plans few changes. Zaven Yaralian, defensive coordinator the past two seasons, resigned in December.
``I`m not saying we did a bad defensive job last season,`` Hall said. ``But in our big football games, we did not play well.``
Working under Darnell will be defensive backs coach Jim Dickey, who was head coach and Darnell`s boss at Kansas State from 1978-82. Last season, Dickey coached the inside linebackers, whom Darnell now will coach.
``I`ve learned in this profession that if you take yourself too seriously, it`s probably a mistake,`` Darnell said, ``because the guy you`re working for, you`re going to be his boss one day. I don`t think there`s a lot of egos involved here.``
For Norris, ego never was a factor. He resigned from Detroit Lions after three years.
``I feel good about what I do and I wanted to continue to feel good about it,`` said Norris, who served at Oklahoma with Hall in the late `70s and early `80s. ``In (the NFL) whether you do a good job doesn`t matter as much as the bottom line.``
Norris said he did not make the move because of the tenuous position of Lions coach Darryl Rogers.
Norris inherits a line that includes two All-Conference players (middle guard Jeff Roth and defensive tackle Rhondy Weston) and a promising transfer (Trace Armstrong from Arizona State).
``I met with the players yesterday and I said, `I won`t mess you up,` `` Norris said. ``If a guy`s a good player, I won`t coach him down.``
Adjusting to college life, Norris said, would be simple, except, ``I`ll probably be upset the first time I see a player get a fumble and not get up and run with it.``
