Florida State loses one assistant coach, retains another

Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher knew when he put together his coaching staff in 2010 that it would only be a matter of time. At some point, the Seminoles’ success meant that his assistants would move on to jobs with better titles and more money.

Defensive coordinator Mark Stoops was hired last month as Kentucky’s head coach. He took with him FSU defensive ends coach D.J. Eliot to be the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator.

Fisher lost running backs coach/special teams coordinator Eddie Gran, who Thursday was named the offensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati. New Bearcats coach Tommy Tuberville has close ties to Gran, who was an assistant coach on Tuberville’s staff from 1995-98 at Mississippi and 1999-2008 at Auburn.

But FSU was able to keep an assistant, too. Fisher confirmed Friday that quarterbacks coach/recruiting coordinator Dameyune Craig is staying at FSU after interviewing at his alma mater, Auburn.

“You got spoiled at Florida State for a while because there was not a lot of movement in coaching,” Fisher said. “The money in coaching now changes everything because they all want to be head coaches and they all want to be coordinators. They want that opportunity.”

Fisher said that he has interviewed candidates for the defensive coordinator position but has not made a hire. He said Stoops, Eliot and Gran will return to Tallahassee to help the Seminoles prepare for the Jan. 1 Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois.