There’s a football analyst in Florida. Here, it is what it is.
Joe Houston, a former assistant special teams coach for the New England Patriots, has agreed to work as a senior special teams analyst for Florida football. From 2020 to 23 Houston collaborated with the Patriots. Before that, Houston was the head coach of Iowa State for three seasons (2016–19), one of which he used as the coordinator of special teams.
Houston will collaborate on situational football and special teams with veteran special teams analyst Chris Couch while playing the Florida Gators.
Together, they hope to improve a special teams team that underperformed in Billy Napier’s two years in charge. In 2022 and 2023, Florida committed one special teams penalty on average per game for a total of 24. Furthermore, throughout the past two seasons, place-kickers Adam Mihalek and Trey Smack have combined to go 32 for 45. Smack missed a game-winning 42-yard field goal try against Arkanasas at the end of regulation.
In Napier’s two seasons, Florida has not recorded a touchdown from a punt or kickoff return.
Houston, a native of Redondo Beach, California, played kicker at USC from 2007 to 2010. 2012 saw him start his coaching career as a secondary and special teams coach at El Camino College in California. Houston moved on to Iowa State after serving as the El Camino coach from 2012 to 2014. He also worked as a quality control coach at Toledo for one season.