All indications suggest that Ron Roberts is leaving Auburn to accept a position at Florida, marking his departure after just one season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator.
The initial report of Roberts’ move came from Matt Zenitz of 247Sports on Monday afternoon, and subsequent confirmation from various reporters covering both Auburn and Florida’s beats followed suit. Auburn linebacker Eugene Asante’s Instagram story further indicated that the news has reached the team’s locker room.
In his Instagram post, Asante praised Coach Ron Roberts for transforming him from a player deemed unfit to play by the previous staff into one of the SEC’s leading tacklers. Asante played only four games and recorded one tackle in 2022 before Roberts’ arrival. Under Roberts’ guidance in the 2023 season, Asante amassed 86 total tackles, ranking seventh in the SEC.
From #Auburn LB Eugene Asante’s Instagram: pic.twitter.com/cSjx14JSRr
— Ainslie Lee (@ainslielee_) January 8, 2024
Expressing gratitude, Asante acknowledged Roberts for instilling confidence in him as a player and conveyed well-wishes for his future at Florida. Asante also tagged Florida linebacker Shemar James in the post, expressing confidence in Roberts’ coaching abilities.
According to reports, Ron Roberts is expected to join forces with Billy Napier at Florida, serving as the executive head coach for defense, co-defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach. This marks a reunion for Roberts and Napier, who previously coached together at Louisiana-Lafayette.