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Florida to hire Roper from Duke as offensive coordinator

 
Published Dec. 25, 2013

GAINESVILLE — Florida will hire Duke offensive coordinator Kurt Roper to be its offensive coordinator, though the Gators are not expected to make an official announcement for several days.

Roper, 41, will replace Brent Pease, who was fired one day after the Gators' season ended with a 4-8 record. Roper interviewed Monday in Gainesville.

A three-year letterwinner at quarterback for Rice, Roper began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1996 under offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe. Since then, he has been the quarterbacks coach on every staff with Cutcliffe as head coach. He has been at Duke since 2008.

In 2012 under Roper, Duke set a school single-season record 410 points and averaged 31.5 points a game. This season, Duke won 10 games for the first time and reached the ACC Championship Game, where the Blue Devils lost to Florida State. Duke averaged 31.6 points, sixth in the ACC, and was also sixth in the league in total offense, averaging 408.1 yards (234.4 passing; 173.7 rushing).

Duke faces Texas A&M Dec. 31 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta. It wasn't known Tuesday whether Roper will join the Gators' staff before then.

Antonya English can be reached at english@tampabay.com. Follow her on Twitter @TBTimes_Gators.