Torrian Gray, a native of Lakeland, Fla., has been named the defensive backs coach for the Florida football team, head coach Jim McElwain announced on Thursday.
"We're excited to have Torrian join the Gator family," said head coach Jim McElwain.
Gray spent the past 17 years coaching the defensive back position, including two years in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears. During that span, he coached five All-America defensive backs and 16 all-conference selections.
Gray returns to Florida after spending a decade at his alma mater leading some of the nation's best defensive backfields. In his 10 seasons in Blacksburg coaching the secondary, his unit allowed just 185.0 passing yards per game and a 106.5 opponent passer rating - both ranked second in the nation over that span. Opposing quarterbacks completed just 50.4 percent of their passes in those 10 seasons, the lowest percentage of any defense in the nation.
The Virginia Tech secondary ranked in the top 15 nationally in opponent passer rating eight times in Gray's 10 seasons leading the unit, including three top-five finishes. In 2006, his first year leading the group, they ranked first in the country in passing yards allowed per game (128.2) and second in opponent passer rating (91.3).
Last season, the Hokies had the fourth-best pass defense (189.2 ypg) in the Atlantic Coast Conference despite losing All-American Kendall Fuller early in the season due to injury. His unit allowed opponents to complete just 49.6 percent of their passes, second-best in the conference.
Gray spent two seasons as assistant defensive backs coach with the Bears before returning to Blacksburg. During the 2005 season, Chicago ranked fifth in the NFL in passing defense and finished tied for second in interceptions (24) as Nathan Vasher and Mike Brown were both elected to the Pro Bowl.
Gray began his coaching career at the University of Maine, serving as defensive backs coach for two seasons (2000-01). He spent the 2002 and 2003 seasons as defensive backs coach at the University of Connecticut where he coached All-BIG EAST selection Justin Perkins.