Dan Mullen could opt to leave Florida Gators after 2021 season
There's been some chatter lately about whether or not Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen is on the hot seat. Mullen, who was hired as Florida's head coach in late 2017, hasn't lived up to expectations during his first four years in Gainesville. The former Mississippi State head coach is 33-13 since taking over for […]
There's been some chatter lately about whether or not Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen is on the hot seat.
Mullen, who was hired as Florida's head coach in late 2017, hasn't lived up to expectations during his first four years in Gainesville.
The former Mississippi State head coach is 33-13 since taking over for Jim McElwain. He's 12-8 since the start of the 2020 season.
Expectations are high at Florida. Going 12-8 over a 20 game stretch isn't going to get it done.
However, despite the lackluster results — and a shocking lack of self-awareness (his comments on recruiting this week) — it appears that Mullen's job is safe…for now.
The Orlando Sentinel reported this week that Florida's athletic department is 100 percent on board with the direction of the football program.
But that doesn't mean Mullen will be the Gators' head coach next season.
He could choose to leave for another job. And one of his friends believes that could very well be the case.
Former UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel, who is currently an analyst for CBS Sports, said this week that he thinks Mullen will leave Florida for the NFL if he gets an opportunity.
I think Neuheisel is correct.
But I don't think Mullen will get that chance.
The Urban Meyer experiment isn't going all that well in Jacksonville. Why would an NFL team want to hire a budget version of Meyer?
Mullen's strange personality probably wouldn't go over well in the NFL. It's just a weird fit.
Of course, I was surprised in 2019 when the Arizona Cardinals hired the coach (Kliff Kingsbury) that had just been fired by Texas Tech. So who really knows what an NFL team would choose to do.
But if I had to bet, I'd put my money on Mullen being the head coach at Florida in 2022.
Featured image via Bob Self/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
