After a 2-7 start the 2024 season Florida Atlantic Head Coach Tom Herman has opted to make an in-season change at 2 of his top assistant coaching positions. Roc Bellantoni has confirmed to FAU Owls Nest that he has been relieved of his duties as Defensive Coordinator, ending his second stint as the FAU DC, while sources confirmed Ed Warinner has also been let go as O-Line and associate head coach.
Bellantoni was hired by Herman in December of 2022 as an inaugural member of his staff after serving as an Edge rushers & Special Teams Coach at Auburn and previously was the defensive coordinator at FAU from 2014-2016. Last season was a relatively solid one for the Owls defense as they allowed 3 touchdowns or less in 9 of their 12 games, also recording 27 sacks, however this year the defense has struggled as of late, allowing 35 points or more in 5 of their last 6 games, but at times they have kept the Owls in games, averaging 1.8 takeaways per game which is 32nd in the country.
The defense has not been perfect, however also the offense has had their equal ebbs and flows, and over their last 15 total drives 13 have ended in a turnover, turnover on downs, or punt, leaving the defense on the field a lot more than they probably have planned for. With equal problems on both sides of the ball, Herman opted to make a move at Defensive coordinator and will operate under an interim-DC, before launching a search this offseason.
Warinner was retained from the previous regime, having been hired as a part of Willie Taggart’s staff in 2021 after Jeff Norrid departed to Louisiana and was promoted to Associate Head Coach when Herman was hired, having served previously with him on staff at Ohio State from 2012-2014. Warinner was a key piece for this FAU staff during the transition and brought veteran experience, however at times the offensive line has struggled, with QB Cam Fancher being sacked 25 times across 9 games so far and Herman has decided to make a change at the coaching position.
Herman made similar moves during his tenure at Texas, as in 2019, which was year 3 after a 7-5 regular season he opted to fire defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, along with offensive assistants Drew Mehringer and Corby Meekins, while Offensive Coordinator Tim Beck was demoted. Although Texas showed improvement with a 6-3 Covid-shortened season in 2020, winning the 2020 Alamo Bowl over Colorado, Texas ultimately fired him.
Current FAU OC Charlie Frye has not technically been demoted, but he has taken on a co-offensive coordinator role with Herman since week 5 against Wagner after the offense failed to score 3 touchdowns in 3 of the first 4 games. He is expected to remain on staff at this time, continuing to collaborate with Herman offensively.
For Bellantoni, it’s a tough end to a tenure which saw a lot of positive moments, as the defense served as the backbone of this team early on this season when the offense was finding its identity and a lot of times they were the unfortunate beneficiary of the Owls offensive troubles. Freshman safety Cj Heard spoke on Bellantoni’s leadership after the loss to USF, mentioning that he felt that Bellantoni would never quit, however that decision has been taken out of his hands.
In recent weeks, the Owls have been plagued with injuries, as top DBs Daedae Hill, Jayden Williams and Wendol Philord all have missed time and the Owls injuries definitely played a part in their recent struggles. Ultimately, for Bellantoni the recent struggles don’t reflect his entire tenure and he is proud of what they accomplished, saying he walked out of the building with his head held high in a statement to FAU Owls Nest.
“Walked out of the building with my head held high! Gave every ounce of my being to FAU in both tenures, and I’m proud of the defense we put on the field the last two years. Lost some key guys the past month and couldn’t overcome that. Didn’t stop us from fighting and clawing at every step, regardless of the challenges we faced,” Bellantoni said. ”I’m thankful for every second I got to spend at the place I love. THE BEST IS YET TO COME! On to better things.Galatians 6:9 Jer 29:11,” Bellantoni said.
FAU will look to finish the season to the best of their abilities, now without multiple members of their coaching staff and this offseason could potentially see more changes as Herman looks to turn things around in year 3.