Chuck Heater Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties

Coaching Experience

Coaching Accomplishments

• 34 years of coaching experience, including stints at Colorado, Northern Arizona, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Toledo, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
• Has coached in 23 bowl games, including seven on New Year's Day, and the 2007 and 2009 BCS National Championship Games, where Florida captured two national titles.
• Has been associated with six National Coaches of the Year in his playing and coaching career (Barry Alvarez, Earle Bruce, Lou Holtz, Urban Meyer, Bill McCartney and Bo Schembechler).
• Has mentored 20 NFL Draft selections and 24 NFL players as well as numerous all-conference picks, including Jim Thorpe Award winner Chris Hudson (Colorado).
• The Gators have recorded 94 interceptions since 2005, the most in the SEC and the third-best total in the nation during that time frame.
• Helped guide a Florida secondary that ranked first in the SEC, the first time since 1988, and second in the nation in pass defense, allowing just 152.8 yards per game in 2009… Four opponents failed to crack the 100-yard mark in passing offense against the Gators and six completed fewer than 50 percent of their pass attempts.
• Helped turnaround a defensive secondary that was one of the nation's worst in 2007 to rank among the best in 2008. The UF pass efficiency defense ranked third in the nation in 2008 (up from 71st in 2007) and the pass defense improved to rank 20th in the nation in 2008 (up from 98th in 2007).
• Tutored three underclassmen safeties in 2008, two sophomores and one freshman, who all earned postseason recognition for their play. Sophomore Ahmad Black was named second-team All-SEC by the coaches and honorable mention All-American honors from Sports Illustrated. Black was a second-team All-Sophomore selection by College Football News, while sophomore Major Wright earned honorable mention recognition for the All-Sophomore team. Will Hill was selected to the SEC All-Freshman team and was named a second-team All-Freshman performer by College Football News.
• Ahmad Black tied for the national lead with seven interceptions in 2008, totaling 191 interception return yards, the second-most in the country, and two touchdowns.
• Recruiting coordinator for the 2006 and 2007 Florida class that both ranked among the top-two nationally, including number one by several services. The 2008 class was ranked in the top five by several services.
• The Gator secondary led the SEC in interceptions in 2005 and 2006 with 16 in 2005 (tied with Georgia) and 21 in 2006. UF's 2006 total tied for the fourth-highest in school history.
• Florida's 2006 pass defense efficiency (98.3) ranked fourth nationally and second in the SEC. UF surrendered 10 passing touchdowns in 2006 (tied for eighth nationally). The unit also ranked second in scoring defense in the league and sixth nationally (13.5).
• Guided All-SEC first-team selection Ryan Smith, whose total of eight interceptions led the league and was seventh nationally in 2006. The total was also the second-highest by a Gator in school history.
• Tutored the 2005 cornerbacks at Florida that were part of as secondary that allowed just 52.3 percent of passes to be complete - the 16th-best percentage nationally. A member of the UF secondary had a sack in five of the 12 games on the year.
• Coached All-SEC performer Dee Webb in 2005 (First Team by AP and Second Team by coaches), who led the SEC in pass deflections and team MVP Vernell Brown who ranked second in the SEC in interceptions.
• Working alongside Florida head coach Urban Meyer at the fourth different Division I program. In 1986, Heater coached the secondary at Ohio State when Meyer was a graduate assistant. They coached together again at Colorado State from 1991-92: Heater as the defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach and Meyer as the receivers' coach. Heater was also a member of the Utah coaching staff in 2004.
• Served as the cornerbacks' coach and recruiting coordinator during the 2004 campaign at Utah, as the Utes completed a perfect 12-0 season.
• Spent five years at Washington as either the cornerbacks' or running backs' coach between 1999-2003 and also served as the Huskies' recruiting coordinator.
• Was credited with helping the school sign three recruiting classes rated in the top 15. Three of his recruiting classes produced a Freshman All-American.
• In 2002, he switched from the corners to the running backs. He also oversaw the Huskies' punt and kick return teams.     
• Spent six years as an assistant coach at Colorado (1993-98), originally joining the CU staff as the director of football operations and recruiting coordinator. He returned to on-field coaching in 1994 when he took over as the defensive backs coach. He coached the tight ends during his last four seasons in Boulder.
• During his first season at Notre Dame, he was a member of the coaching staff that led the Irish to a 12-0 record and the 1988 national championship.
• Was the secondary coach at Notre Dame (1988-90), Ohio State (1985-87) and Wisconsin (1982-84).
• Coached the running backs from 1977-78 and the secondary at Toledo from 1979-81.
• Began his collegiate coaching career in 1976 at Northern Arizona coaching the Lumberjacks' running backs.

Prominent Players Coached

FLORIDA:

• CB RYAN SMITH - Second-team All-America by AP and third-team by Rivals.com. First-team All-SEC selection by AP and second-team by the league coaches. Was a sixth-round selection (206th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
• CB DEE WEBB - First-team All-SEC by Associated Press and second-team All-SEC by league coaches. Led the SEC in pass deflections. Seventh-round draft choice by the Jacksonville Jaguars (236th overall) in 2006.

COLORADO:

• CB CHRIS HUDSON - Consensus All-American as a senior in 1994 who won the Jim Thorpe Award that season. A three-time first-team All-Big Eight performer later taken in the third round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1995 NFL Draft.
• TE DANIEL GRAHAM - All-American tight end for the Buffaloes who was a 2002 first-round draft pick by the New England Patriots.

NOTRE DAME:

• CB JEFF BURRIS - All-America cornerback for the Fighting Irish who was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills in 1994.
• CB TOM CARTER - Selected in the first round of the 1993 Draft by the Washington Redskins.
• CB TODD LYGHT - Two-time All-America (1989-90) cornerback for the Irish who was a 1991 first-round Draft pick by the Los Angeles Rams.
• S PAT TERRELL - Chosen in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

WISCONSIN:

• CB RICHARD JOHNSON - All-America and All-Big Ten cornerback in 1984 who was drafted in the first round by the Houston Oilers in 1985.
• CB NATE ODOMES - First-team All-Big Ten cornerback for the Badgers who was drafted in the second round by the Buffalo Bills in 1987.

NFL Players (round drafted)
DB Matt Vandenboom (5th) - Wisconsin '83 - Buffalo Bills
CB Richard Johnson (1st) - Wisconsin '85 - Houston Oilers
FS Sonny Gordon (6th) - Ohio State '87 - Cincinnati Bengals
CB Nate Odomes (2nd) - Wisconsin '87 - Buffalo Bills
CB Ray Jackson (7th) - Ohio State '88 - Seattle Seahawks
CB William White (4th) - Ohio State '88 - Detroit Lions
CB Stan Smagala (5th) - Notre Dame '90 - Los Angeles Raiders
S Pat Terrell (2nd) - Notre Dame '90 - Los Angeles Rams
CB Todd Lyght (1st) -Notre Dame '91 - Los Angeles Rams
CB Tom Carter (1st) - Notre Dame '93 - Washington Redskins
CB Jeff Burris (2nd) - Notre Dame '94 - Buffalo Bills
CB Willie Clark (3rd) - Notre Dame '94 - San Diego Chargers
SS John Covington (5th) - Notre Dame '94 - Indianapolis Colts
CB Chris Hudson (3rd) - Colorado '95 - Jacksonville Jaguars
LB Sean Moran (4th) - Colorado State '96 - Buffalo Bills
TE Daniel Graham (1st) - Colorado '02 - New England Patriots
CB Omare Lowe (5th) - Washington '02 - Miami Dolphins
CB Derrick Johnson (6th) - Washington '05 - San Francisco 49ers
CB Dee Webb (7th) - Florida '06 - Jacksonville Jaguars
CB Vernell Brown (FA) - Florida '06 - New England Patriots
CB Ryan Smith (6th) - Florida '07 - Tennessee Titans
CB Reggie Lewis (FA) - Florida '07 - Buffalo Bills
DB Tony Joiner (FA) - Florida '08 - Tennessee Titans

Playing Career
Michigan (1971-74) - Three-year letterwinner in football at running back for the Wolverines. Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a junior and was named honorable mention as a senior. Finished his playing career as UM's fifth-leading rusher all-time with 1,981 yards on 406 carries (a 4.9-yard per carry average). Received the school's Fielding Yost Award in 1975 for the most outstanding academic and athletic performance by a senior. During his tenure at Michigan, the Wolverines went 41-3-1 and won outright or shared the Big Ten title every season. Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 10th round with the 241st overall selection in the 1975 NFL Draft.

Personal Information
Birthdate: Oct. 10, 1952
Hometown: Tiffin, Ohio
Education: 1975 - Bachelor's Degree in Education from the University of Michigan
Family: Married to the former Deborah Dariano. Has three children: Emily, Andy (was a defensive tackle at the University of Washington in 2005 and is now an Airborne Army Ranger) and Adam (played tight end at UCLA).

Bowl Games as a Coach
1981: California
1982: Independence
1984: Hall of Fame
1985: Citrus
1987: Cotton
1989: Fiesta
1990: Orange
1991: Orange
1993: Aloha
1995: Fiesta
1996: Cotton
1996: Holiday
1998: Aloha
1999: Holiday
2001: Rose
2001: Holiday
2002: Sun
2005: Fiesta
2006: Outback
2007: BCS National Championship
2008: Capital One
2009: BCS National Championship
2010: Sugar