The Gators went toe to toe with Alabama and a year after they had a chance to make the College Football Playoff, and that's why they fired coach Dan Mullen on Sunday.
The two seasons that included mounting losses, numerous public relation gaffes, NCAA sanctions and a victory against lower-division Samford that didn't seem like much for Gators fans to celebrate, ended with a stunning downfall and not-so-surprising departure of coach Dan Mullen.
A trip to the SEC championship game last year and three New Year's Six bowls was one of the highlights for Florida coach Dan Mullen.
His final game was a 24-23 loss in overtime at Missouri that spotlighted Florida's flaws: inconsistent quarterback play, a porous offensive line, a lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball and an inability to win close games. The last two seasons, the Gators have dropped seven one-possession games.
The winner of Saturday's game between Florida and Florida State will become bowl eligible. They'll do so without the man who was also the play-caller.
Greg will serve as interim coach.
The athletic director wanted to give the coach every chance to turn things around since the team was ranked sixth in the CFP a year ago. Even though he rewarded Mullen with a raise and a three-year contract extension in the summer, it became clear that he was losing support from top administrators, key boosters and even the program's most loyal fans.
A news conference was scheduled for later Sunday.
The Gators will pay a $12 million buyout spread over seven installments, with a $6 million payoff within 30 days. Every July 15 through 2027, Mullen will get $1 million. The timing of the coaching change is ideal because of the expiring contracts of six of the assistants.
An $85 million football facility opening next year is an upgrade that has been years in the making. The best college football job in the state of Florida should be even more attractive because of that.
Florida is likely to be linked to most of the top coaches who have been speculated as candidates to fill coaching vacancies at LSU and Southern California, including: Oregon's Mario Cristobal, Cincinnati's Luke Fickell, Penn State's James Franklin, Mississippi's Lane Kiffin Is it possible to make another run at Bob Stoops, a former Gators assistant?
According to Rivals, Florida's current recruiting class is 34th in the country, and it has lost nine of its last 11 games against Power Five opponents.
The firings of two close friends and top assistants by Florida coach Dan Mullen did not help the team's cause.
The victory against Samford felt more like a loss for the Gators than any of the other outcomes in the four years under Dan. They gave up a season-high 530 yards and the most points ever at Florida Field for an opponent, and it came against a middle-of-the-pack team from the Southern Conference.
It is the most points an SEC opponent has ever scored.
It was strange to see a guy who has provided way too many for Florida's brass since replacing Jim McElwain celebrate in the locker room after the Gators rallied in the second half.
The Gators finished the league season with a 21-13 record.
His offensive prowess made him one of the best play-callers in the SEC for the past 15 years, but his recent issues overshadowed his prowess.
The root of his on-field problems have been his recruiting. He was in discussions with Stricklin last week to make more staff changes if he had won out and saved his job.
He was in hot water last year after he doubled down on wanting to pack Florida Field during a Pandemic.
He was 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 800-273-3217 He was reprimanded and fined by the SEC for his role in the benches clearing fight, and was criticized for his tone-deaf comments after two losses.
His failure to publicly take ownership of losses carried into this season was at the forefront after a 20-13 upset at Kentucky last month. He began to tally the numbers from the stat sheet.
We ran faster than them. We beat them. Mullen said that they out-gained them. The time of possession is what it is. We were better on third downs.
In May, Stricklin gave Mullen a raise and a three-year contract extension despite his many mistakes. The 49-year-old Mullen made $8.6 million this year, up from $6.07 million in 2020, and had been under contract through 2026.
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