Ron Zook to take the Gators' helm

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Ron Zook will be introduced as Florida&#39;s new coach Wednesday, officially ending a cross-country search that put the career assistant in one of the most prestigious coaching jobs in the country. <br> <br> Zook, who leaves as defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints, will be introduced as Florida&#39;s 20th head coach at a news conference, sports information director John Humenik said. <br> <br> The Florida Times-Union reported Wednesday that Zook is expected to get a five-year contract worth $1.5 million annually. That&#39;s about $600,000 less per year than his predecessor, Steve Spurrier, made. <br> <br> Foley met with Zook for about two hours Tuesday after another good friend, Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, turned down the job. On Monday, still another friend of Foley&#39;s, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, also said ``No&#39;&#39; to the Gators. <br> <br> Like Stoops, Zook is a former defensive coordinator at Florida, although his tenure wasn&#39;t as successful. <br> <br> Zook held the position from 1991-93, before Spurrier demoted him to special teams coordinator and linebackers coach in 1994. He did such a good job in that position that Spurrier was going to give him the job back for the 1996 season. But Zook chose to leave Florida for an assistant&#39;s job in the pros, in hopes of adding to his resume so he could someday be a head coach. <br> <br> He spent three seasons as special teams coach with the Steelers and one year as defensive backs coach with Kansas City, before joining Haslett in New Orleans. The Saints were a top-10 defense last season, but struggled this season, allowing 160 points in their final four games. <br> <br> This will be Zook&#39;s first head-coaching job, and he has quite a challenge ahead, trying to follow the coach who once demoted him. <br> <br> Spurrier went 122-27-1 in his 12 seasons at Florida. He led the Gators to their only national championship in 1996, and helped bring six Southeastern Conference titles to a program that hadn&#39;t won a single one previously. <br> <br> Zook is known for his fiery personality, but he certainly isn&#39;t Stoops or Shanahan, and how the hire will go over in Gainesville is hard to know. <br> <br> The first people Zook must convince, however, aren&#39;t fans, but quarterback Rex Grossman and a handful of teammates who have wavered on their decisions to return in the wake of Spurrier&#39;s sudden resignation. <br> <br> Grossman, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, said he would love to return if Shanahan were the coach, but made no commitments beyond that. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve been in a holding pattern,&#39;&#39; Grossman&#39;s father, Dan, told The Gainesville Sun. ``Honestly, Rex would really like to stay at Florida. Jeremy Foley called and talked to Rex and said, `You have to trust me. I&#39;m going to get a good guy in here.&#39; We said, `Go get him.&#39;&#39;&#39; <br>

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