Sources: Paul Pasqualoni expected to be special assistant at Florida

Former Syracuse and UConn head coach Paul Pasqualoni has a new landing spot in college football. Pasqualoni is expected to take an off-field role at the University of Florida as the special assistant to the head coach, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

Pasqualoni is a longtime defensive guru who last worked in the NFL as the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. He’ll be working with the offense at Florida in a role where he helps the offensive staff break down defenses and also helping head coach Dan Mullen evaluate the program from a macro view.

It’s the third consecutive role for Pasqualoni that links him with coaches he hired during his successful tenure at Syracuse from 1991-2004 when he went 107-59-1. Mullen was a graduate assistant for Pasqualoni in 1998.

Lions coach Matt Patricia and former Boston College coach Steve Addazio, who both hired Pasqualoni at his past two coaching stops, also worked for him at Syracuse.

Pasqualoni, 70, is a football lifer and known as an elite teacher and X’s and O’s savant. He was an acclaimed defensive line coach in the NFL for many years, including stints with the Cowboys, Bears and Texans.

In a fitting twist, one of Pasqualoni’s hallmark seasons at Syracuse came with Mullen on staff in 1998. The Orange went 8-4 and lost to Florida in the Orange Bowl, 31-10.

Pasqualoni has a son, Tito, who is a walk-on long snapper at Boston College. Another son, Dante, plays lacrosse at Bryant.

Paul Pasqualoni, right, works with linebacker Tre Lamar, left, and middle linebacker Jarrad Davis (40) during training camp June 4, 2019, in Allen Park, Mich. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

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