After the Florida Gators fired head football coach Billy Napier two weeks ago, the Gators moved assistant coach Ryan OβHara to a role as play-caller, more or less the offensive coordinator.
OβHara had an impressive debut a week ago, helping the Gators to a near-upset of Georgia before losing 24-20. It was the same Gators offense that had scored only seven points against Miami, 10 against LSU and 16 against South Florida, all losses.
Florida quarterbacks offensive analyst Ryan OβHara looks on as players warm up before a game against Mississippi, Nov. 23, 2024, in Gainesville, Fla.
Ryan OβHara? Does it ring a bell?
In the winter of 2003, OβHara was the UAβs headline recruit, the so-called quarterback who would save John Mackovicβs declining Arizona program. He was the most highly-recruited QB in UA history, ranked as high as No. 4 nationally, choosing Arizona over UCLA and Washington. And then it all went bust. OβHara played five games as a true freshman, completing just 42% of his passes and throwing more interceptions (four) than TDs (two). He left the program before the 2004 season when Mike Stoops took over for Mackovic.
OβHaraβs journey to last weekβs mini-success at Florida was a long, hard one. He played at Central Oklahoma and in the Arena League briefly. He coached at two Los Angeles junior colleges and at a high school in Pasadena, near his home turf at Muir High School. He then coached at Alabama A&M and Louisiana-Lafayette and then found himself unemployed. He drove an Uber to make ends meet.
Finally, a year ago, Napier hired OβHara to be an offensive analyst on his Florida staff. Now, 22 years after he entered Arizona as the βQB of the future,β OβHara appears to have saved his football career. Great story.
