GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida head coach Will Muschamp announced Thursday morning that Kurt Roper will lead the Gators' offense for the 2014 season. Roper, who was the Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach at Duke in 2013, will serve as UF's Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach beginning in January.
"I'm excited to have Coach Roper join our staff," said Muschamp. "He has a diverse, up-tempo background on offense and does a good job of adapting to what the players do best. The most important thing though, is he has always remained balanced. He has had success calling plays in the SEC and has tutored three NFL quarterbacks. He has had players produce at every offensive position and he is one of the most well-respected coaches in the country."
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An 18-year coaching veteran, Roper spent six seasons as the offensive coordinator at Duke and has 14 years of experience coaching the quarterback position, including working with NFL quarterbacks Eli Manning (N.Y. Giants), Sean Renfree (Atlanta Falcons) and Thaddeus Lewis (Buffalo Bills).
Roper has guided three quarterbacks to 3,000-yard passing seasons (five total 3,000-yard seasons). In his six seasons at Duke, he has had four 1,000-yard receivers and three 3,000-yard passers. He also coached running back Arian Foster at Tennessee to a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2007.
A vital piece of Duke's 2013 record-setting season, Roper helped lead the Blue Devils to a school-record 10 wins and the ACC's Coastal Division title. Duke will face Texas A&M in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31 in Atlanta. Duke set school records for total touchdowns (54) while becoming the first team in school history to rush for 20+ and pass for 20+ touchdowns.