UF’s Loeffler knows QBs on both sidelines well

Posted Oct 15, 2009 by David Jones/Florida Today

Updated Oct 15, 2009 at 10:05 AM

Florida assistant coach Scot Loeffler will have a great knowledge of the quarterbacks in Saturday’s game between the Gators and Arkansas– no matter which offense is on the field.

  As an assistant at the University of Michigan, Loeffler recruited Razorbacks quarterback Ryan Mallett.  Mallett departed for Arkansas and sat out last season. At the same time, Loeffler went to the Detroit Lions for a year before coming to UF, where he works with Tim Tebow as quarterbacks coach.

“I went over to Detroit, and he decided to make a decision to go Arkansas, which I thought was a really good decision for him,” Loeffler said. “[Arkansas coach] Bobby [Petrino] does a great job in the throw game. It’s an NFL system for him. So that was a good choice, and I’m really happy that he’s having some success over there. He’ll mature as these next couple years go by, and he’ll be a good player.”

While Mallett has thrown for more than 1,400 yards and the Hogs have the Southeastern Conference’s top passing game, Loeffler has worked with Tebow’s mechanics to help get him ready for a shot at the National Football League.

  It’s a strange case of “what could have been” for Michigan, Arkansas and Florida and Loeffler, Mallett and Tebow.

“Coach Loeffler was like another father to me,” Mallett said. “Through all the recruiting process and everything. That’s one of the main reasons I chose to go to Michigan. So it’s going to be kind of awkward standing on a different sideline from him come Saturday.”