Bateman spent the last three seasons as North Carolina’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida head football coach Billy Napier announced Tuesday that Jay Bateman has joined his staff as an assistant, coaching the inside linebackers.
A 24-year coaching veteran, Bateman heads to Gainesville after spending three seasons as North Carolina’s co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach (2019-21).
Upon his arrival in Carolina in 2019, Bateman helped engineer major improvements in the Tar Heel defense, which was one of the nation’s top five most improved units in total defense, scoring defense and rushing defense that year.
Bateman’s aggressive style was evident in the 36 sacks the team produced in 2020, the most for a Carolina defense since 2000 and tied for fifth nationally. The scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense all ranked in the Top 35 nationally of teams that played at least 10 games that season. The unit produced a first-team All-America in linebacker Chazz Surratt.
Prior to UNC, Bateman spent five seasons (2014-18) as Army’s defensive coordinator.
Army won 29 games during Bateman’s tenure, including three bowl games during his last three seasons, which included two Top-10 finishes in total defense. Bateman was one of five finalists for the 2018 Broyles Award and a semifinalist in 2016.
In 2018, Bateman led Army’s defense to finish eighth nationally in total defense (295.5 ypg) and 10th in scoring defense (17.7 ppg).
The Black Knights finished third in the nation in red zone defense and 14th in passing defense in 2017.
In 2016, Bateman guided a defense that ranked fourth nationally in total defense (291.5 ypg), sixth in passing defense (170.2 ypg) and 18th in rushing defense (121.2 ypg). The Army defensive unit also ranked 16th in scoring defense, allowing 19 points per game, while increasing its interception total from six in 2015 to 17 in 2016.
Prior to Army, Bateman spent three seasons as the defensive coordinator at Ball State (2011-13). His 2013 defensive unit ranked ninth nationally in turnovers gained with 31 and 12th in turnover margin at +0.9.
Bateman spent five seasons as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Elon (2006-10) prior to Ball State.
He also made stops at Lehigh (2005) and Richmond (2004). Bateman gained head-coaching experience at Siena College. He led the program from 2000-03 after spending one season as an assistant coach on staff.
Bateman began his coaching career in 1997, spending two years on staff at Hampden-Sydney. Bateman is a 1995 graduate of Randolph-Macon.
