Florida Gators Assistant Coach Profiles: Who is Darnell Stapleton?

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is building an army, but that lies not only within his robust support staff, but with his assistant coaches as well.

Photo: Darnell Stapleton; Credit: Zach Goodall

When Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier was introduced as the team's next head coach, he promised the Gator Nation an "army" when describing his incoming coaching staff.

The staff would consist of assistants who have gotten recognition around the college football world as some of the best in the game.

"We're going to hire an army of people here," Napier said on Dec. 5 last year. "We're going to create an infrastructure not only in the personnel department but also from an on-campus recruiting, creative media, name, image and likeness. We're going to create -- we've got a great vision for the organization that we're going to create here."

Napier, of course, was referring not only to the assistant coaches that he would eventually lock-in but also to the enormous support staff - comprised of 48 individuals that were eventually brought on to help build out the staff.

With that said, over the next couple of weeks, we at AllGators will be releasing profiles to get to know each assistant coach, including their background, recruiting history, quotes and more.

Next, we take a look at the team's co-offensive line coach, Darnell Stapleton. We've previously reviewed fellow offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Rob Sale's résumé, which you can find here.

Background info:

Stapleton, 36, joined the Gators' coaching staff as part of a two-pronged approach with its offensive line coaching on Dec. 10. Stapleton played in the NFL for several years, including from 2007-09 as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007.

He would start 15 games during his second season in the league, including the Steelers' three preseason games in 2008-09, including their Super Bowl XLIII victory over the Arizona Cardinals. His NFL playing career would be short-lived, however, in part due to a lingering knee injury.

Stapleton stepped away from the league after attempting to play for the New England Patriots in 2010, waived on Aug. 11 of that year.

Though young, Stapleton jumped right into coaching after his NFL career, first leading a women's football team in the Women's Football Alliance, the New York Sharks, as the team's head coach (2011).

He would then move to Montclair Kimberly Academy (N.J.), coaching the offensive and defensive lines at the prep level in 2012. Stapleton would earn a shot at the collegiate level in 2012 with Rutgers, where he played from 2005-07, as a graduate assistant.

From then on, Stapleton would stick to the OL, assisting at Bucknell (2014-17) and then Sam Houston State (2018-20) before joining Napier in 2021 and subsequently following him to Gainesville as the team's second OL coach. 

Although Sale and Stapleton's responsibilities aren't split positionally, Stapleton's playing experience is an obvious benefit as Napier and Co. rebuild Florida's front five for the long haul.

Recruiting history:

Stapleton's recruiting acumen has really yet to be tested. He hasn't had much involvement as a primary recruiter on the trail with one year of FBS on-field coaching experience, but did help land former UL commit, OL Christian Williams, signing the guard prospect as part of Florida's 2022 recruiting class. Williams was a late addition to the team's class.

Stapleton also played a role in holding onto interior OL commit Jalen Farmer, another late addition to this year's class who had interest from Alabama and Kentucky near the end of his recruitment.

Stapleton also played a role in sending two players to the NFL, including former UL OL Max Mitchell (New York Giants, Round 4, 2022) and former Bucknell OL Julien Davenport (Houston Texans, Round 4, 2017).

Essentially, the buck stops there, but Stapleton has already seen himself becoming an integral part of the Florida coaching staff as they work to land some of the top offensive linemen this year. 

How it's going:

Though he hasn't had much experience on the trail, Stapleton is already working hard to land some of the top names this year on the OL, with help from fellow OL coach Rob Sale, of course. 

Thus far, Florida has landed two offensive linemen in Rockledge (Fla.) OL Bryce Lovett and IMG Academy IOL Knijeah Harris. Stapleton also helped secure a commitment from JUCO transfer OL Jordan Herman.

Dr. Phillips (Fla.) tackle Payton Kirkland, IMG Academy's (Fla.) lineman Francis Mauigoa, Clearwater Academy International (Fla.) tackle Lucas Simmons, Oceanside Collegiate Academy's (S.C.) tackle Monroe Freeling, Orange Park's (Fla.) guard Roderick Kearney and Trinity Catholic's (Fla.) guard Tommy Kinsler, among other prospects, continue to be coveted by UF in the class of 2023.

Quotable:

"Well, the main benefit that I've noticed is you get two different opinions, two different ways of looking at it. So coach Sale sees something one way and maybe we're not seeing eye to eye, coach Stape can come in and kind of give me a different perspective, a different way to look at it to help me understand," UF guard Ethan White said of Sale and Stapleton in spring camp.

"I haven't seen it yet. He doesn't try to gloat about it too much," White added about Stapleton's Super Bowl ring.

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