Florida DL coach Bryant Young abruptly resigns

Published Apr. 10, 2013 9:45 p.m. ET

foxsports

Florida defensive line coach Bryant Young is stepping away from football to spend more time with his family.

Young announced at a team meeting Wednesday that he is resigning after more than two decades of college and professional football.

A four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle who spent 14 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Young joined coach Will Muschamp's staff in 2011 after one year at San Jose State and another at Notre Dame.

''After heavy consideration and giving over two decades to the game of football, I have made a personal decision to resign from my position at the University of Florida in order to pursue more time with my family,'' said Young, a father of six who earned about $40 million during his NFL career. ''I am humbled by and grateful for the opportunity I have had to positively influence the hardworking student-athletes and young men whom I will surely miss.

''However, I have come to the realization that it is time to invest more in my family during this fleeting season in life.''

After a stellar collegiate career at Notre Dame, Young was selected seventh overall by the 49ers in the 1994 NFL draft. He was an All-Pro selection in 1996 and was later named to the 1990s All-Decade Team.

When Young came to Florida, he was reunited with his former position coach in San Francisco, then-Gators defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn recently returned to the NFL to become defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. The Gators then hired South Carolina's Brad Lawing as assistant head coach and defensive line coach. Young worked mostly with defensive tackles.

''We are very thankful for Coach Young's contributions to the program and I respect his decision,'' Muschamp said in a statement. ''This is strictly a personal decision and has nothing to do with NCAA compliance, but just an opportunity to evaluate his future path.''