Florida is expected to hire Washington inside linebackers coach Robert Bala as its co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports. Bala spent this past season as Washington’s linebacker coach under Jedd Fisch after serving in the same role on Alabama’s staff under Nick Saban during the 2023 campaign.
247Sports reported earlier in the day that Bala was set to interview for an off-field analyst position with the Gators before being hired as the co-defensive coordinator/linebacker coach.
Bala is set to become the third member of the Florida staff to hold at least a co-defensive coordinator title. Ron Roberts is listed as the “executive head coach” of the defense and safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri serves as a co-defensive coordinator. The move also marks a reunion for Bala and Sunseri after the pair served together on the Huskies’ staff in 2024.
Bala played a key role in the development of star linebacker Dallas Turner at Alabama. Turner led the Crimson Tide with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks in 2023 and eventually became a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Before coaching at Washington, Alabama and Liberty, Bala had stops in both the NFL and college with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders, Southern Utah and Arizona, among others.
Florida finished 2024 with an 8-5 record in Napier’s third season with the program.
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