The son of a football coach, Kurt Roper grew accustomed to moving. The middle son of three boys, Roper recalled already knowing what the conversation would be when his father — Bobby Roper — would gather the family around.

“We were moving … I don’t even know why we’re talking,” he recalled. Roper moved all around the country, in his words, “east coast, west coast, north, south,” you name it. He knew the ups and downs of the profession he chose. He grew up in it.

After five years at Duke, Roper picked up his own family — his wife and his two young children — and moved them to Gainesville last year. They bought a home here in Gainesville, fully expecting that they would right the ship at Florida and stay for a while.

Then Sunday that all changed. The offense had let the Gators’ down again, this time in a 23-20 loss that proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back and Will Muschamp was gone.

The only certainty with the Gators now is that Muschamp will coach the final two regular season games and that Jeremy Foley will find a new head coach. Those plans are unlikely to include Roper, as most head coaches prefer to bring in people they are familiar with, and fill a staff with an entirely new group of coaches. For instance, when Will Muschamp took the Florida job only D.J. Durkin and Brian White were retained on staff.

Roper and his wife know the drill. This won’t be the first time they’ve packed their bags, “My wife, it’s not her first rodeo either. We got fired at Ole Miss in 2004 and then at Kentucky and Tennessee and other places,” he said.

Unlike when he was growing up, Roper doesn’t have to explain much to his children, who are just six and two years old. “My children are 6 and 2, so they don’t even know yet. So nobody tell my daughter,” he joked.

The next two weeks won’t be easy. Roper will field calls as they come, knowing that being retained is an unlikely scenario at Florida. He also needs to put out good tape with the offense the rest of the way. Looking for a job, the Gators offense is the latest mark on his résumé. The offense and the season have not gone the way that anyone would have hoped but Roper doesn’t regret gambling on Will Muschamp and taking the job at Florida.

“I don’t have any regrets at all,” Roper said. “I still think this is a great place No. 1. It’s a place you can obviously win at a high level and get good football players here. I thought it was a great opportunity.”

Roper will do his best for the Gators these next two weeks and he wants to send Will Muschamp and the players.

“Working for Will Muschamp is unbelievable. Everything you’re hearing about him is not just people blowing smoke,” Roper said. “That’s a good person number one. and I learned a lot of football from him. I really did. I learned a lot of things. Shoot it’s been a great, almost a year. I got here in January. Almost a year. But it’s been a great experience.”