National signing day is over but Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain is still working.
McElwain will fill one of two coaching vacancies on his staff with former West Virginia running backs coach JaJuan Seider. McElwain did not announce what position group that Seider would be coaching, just that he was being added to the staff as an assistant.
Seider, 38, is originally from Belle Glade, Florida but went to school and played quarterback at West Virginia before transferring to Florida A&M his senior year. Seider was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft but returned to coaching, getting a start in his hometown of Belle Glade. He coached at three different high schools in Florida from 2001-2008 before taking a graduate coaching position (quarterbacks) at West Virginia. He spent two years in that position before taking over the running backs and recruiting coordinators jobs at Marshall. Seider returned to West Virginia, where he’s remained since 2013 as the running backs coach.
Seider made $340,000 at West Virginia last year on a contract that ran through 2017.
Seider is regarded as a great recruiter, specifically in South Florida. In his final season at Marshall Seider was named Conference USA’s recruiter of the year (2012). He has helped West Virginia land Jovon Durante (2013) and Tyrek Cole (2014) from Miramar High School. Both were Gators targets.
With Seider coming in to presumably coach on the offensive side of the ball it is likely Tim Skipper will move to the defensive side of the ball. Skipper was a linebacker at Fresno State, where he started all four years he was in college. He still ranks second in Fresno State history with 418 tackles and has coached on the defensive side of the ball at three of the four schools he’s coached.
Florida still has one more vacancy to fill after Mike Summers left Florida for Louisville in January.