Pata, Gaitor To Join NFL Teams As Part Of Coaching Fellowship

A pair of FIU coaches are temporarily joining the NFL. Offensive line coach Edwin Pata is joining the Miami Dolphins, while cornerbacks coach Anthony Gaitor is joining the Jacksonville Jaguars. This is all part of the NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship Program.

Designed as a tool to increase the number of full-time NFL minority coaches, all 32 teams participate in the coaching fellowship. This includes hiring, compensation, and coaching duties – all of which are administered by the teams themselves.

Fellowships can take place during OTAs, minicamps, or Training Camps, and the length of the fellowship ranges from a few days to a few weeks.

Pata is the offensive line coach of the Panthers. He is entering his first season with FIU under head coach Willie Simmons.

He was previously a graduate assistant at FIU from 2010 to 2013. Before his time here, he spent six years at the Miami Hurricanes, including last season as their offensive line coach.

Ari Confesor, Anthony Gaitor, and Dawson Odoms will join our coaching staff through June as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program.

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) May 16, 2025

Gaitor is entering his second year as the cornerbacks coach for FIU. He was a former player with the Panthers from 2007-10, being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last season, FIU’s secondary recorded a total of 11 interceptions – the 58th-highest total in FBS.