Thoughts on UF football over the last 7 seasons

[mstateglfr]

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...len-florida-gators-football-coach-sources-say

A year removed from leading Florida to the SEC championship game and playing eventual national champion Alabama as close as anyone

Mullen was 34-15 in four seasons at Florida. His replacement will be the Gators' fourth head coach in eight seasons.

Stricklin acknowledged the fact that each of the Gators' past three coaches had some tangible success, with Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Mullen all having reached the SEC championship game.

"The challenge has been we haven't been able to sustain it," Stricklin said.

- They won the East and made the SEC championship game 3 of the prior 6 seasons and just made it there last season.
- The finished ranked 5 of the prior 6 seasons.
- Under Mullen they finished 5th, 6th and 12th in the prior seasons he coached.coaches.

I get that Florida is 5-6 this season, but claiming they haven't been able to sustain success is total ******** based on actual records. Being raked in the top 12 three years in a row and winning the East 3 of the prior 6 seasons is sustained success.

I am not defending Mullen here. I am saying Stricklin's publicly stated justification is ******** and ignoring history. If Stricklin is tired of Mullen or just doesn't think Mullen is the best fit moving forward- fine, but say that and don't try to reframe recent history.

This just seems like Stricklin is doing something for the sake of doing something so he can justify his job/pay. It shows he is continually pursuing greatness when in reality its just a single down season.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

Since the SEC split into divisions, every Florida head coach has won at least a share of an SECE title. They didn't all make it to Atlanta, but they each at least tied for first in the division.

 

[ronpolk]

I think I’m in the minority on this board in thinking Dan is a good coach… with that said, I think Florida made a bad call letting him go. It’s hard to imagine them upgrading from Mullen in a year when so many jobs are open.

The problem so many of these elite jobs have right now is they think they should be doing what Bama has done under Saban. That is impossible to pull off. We see now with this year that Dabo is not immune to an average year. The only other comparable to Bama has been Ohio state. Prior to saban’s run, it’s hard to imagine Mullen getting fired with his record and sec championship game appearances.

 

[Bulldogg31]

I think I’m in the minority on this board in thinking Dan is a good coach… with that said, I think Florida made a bad call letting him go. It’s hard to imagine them upgrading from Mullen in a year when so many jobs are open.

The problem so many of these elite jobs have right now is they think they should be doing what Bama has done under Saban. That is impossible to pull off. We see now with this year that Dabo is not immune to an average year. The only other comparable to Bama has been Ohio state. Prior to saban’s run, it’s hard to imagine Mullen getting fired with his record and sec championship game appearances.

The thing is, he’s a dick.

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

I agree, that Mullen is a very good coach

He knows what he is doing.

Problem is, with the salaries these guys are getting,

Nobody has any patience, (and I undestand)

Do it today, or get out.

Chip in NIL, and the Transfer Portal, and this is a NEW world.

 

[Eleven Bravo]

https://www.espn.com/college-footba...len-florida-gators-football-coach-sources-say






- They won the East and made the SEC championship game 3 of the prior 6 seasons and just made it there last season.
- The finished ranked 5 of the prior 6 seasons.
- Under Mullen they finished 5th, 6th and 12th in the prior seasons he coached.coaches.

I get that Florida is 5-6 this season, but claiming they haven't been able to sustain success is total ******** based on actual records. Being raked in the top 12 three years in a row and winning the East 3 of the prior 6 seasons is sustained success.

I am not defending Mullen here. I am saying Stricklin's publicly stated justification is ******** and ignoring history. If Stricklin is tired of Mullen or just doesn't think Mullen is the best fit moving forward- fine, but say that and don't try to reframe recent history.

This just seems like Stricklin is doing something for the sake of doing something so he can justify his job/pay. It shows he is continually pursuing greatness when in reality its just a single down season.

Stricklin ain’t doing **** in this deal. Stricklin is nothing more than the mouthpiece for the people who run the show at UF. Jeremy Foley (the former Florida AD) and a handful of very wealthy and very powerful people call the shots there. Foley still has an office in the AD building. The first thing he did when Mullen was hired was give Steve Spurrier an office right across the hall from Mullen. Stricklin basically stands in the corner with his mouth shut until Foley tells him what to do and exactly what to say and when to say it. When Stricklin isn’t standing in the corner he is carrying Foley’s briefcase and/or driving Foley around from one place to another. Stricklin is a bonafide butler/chauffeur for Foley. Stricklin isn’t going to buck the system or he knows he will be out the door right behind Mullen. Stricklin has no power-just fills a position. Foley still hanging around there is a big part of Florida’s problems-along with Spurrier meddling in the day-to-day operations. It’s a mess, and it’s hard to believe Dan walked into that situation knowing it. Just proves how badly Dan wanted out of Starkville.

 

[kired]

They saw the writing on the wall. His mediocre recruiting was going to put them in a deeper & deeper hole for the next coach to climb out of. They didn’t hire him to be a good coach with 10th best class every year. They are looking for someone to continually have them in the top 5. Dan can’t do that with his recruiting. You take one player away from him at state, an under the radar QB who turned out to be the greatest player to ever set foot on our campus, and he’s not near as special as people here have made him out to be. His greatest accomplishment here was the 2014 season and that doesn’t happen without Dak (who is more talented than I think we even realized when he was here). And our prized bowl streak was luckily extended in 2016 despite a losing season.

Dan was a good coach but he’s not got what it takes to be an elite college coach, and that’s what Florida wants.

 

[mstateglfr]

Dan was a good coach but he’s not got what it takes to be an elite college coach, and that’s what Florida wants.

Sure, and thats cool- its just when the justification for such a decision is that they havent been able to sustain success, a quick glance at the prior 6 seasons fully ruins that narrative. Just speak the truth- if they dont think he is the right fit for what they want moving forward, cool...say that.

 

[mstateglfr]

The problem so many of these elite jobs have right now is they think they should be doing what Bama has done under Saban. That is impossible to pull off. We see now with this year that Dabo is not immune to an average year. The only other comparable to Bama has been Ohio state. Prior to saban’s run, it’s hard to imagine Mullen getting fired with his record and sec championship game appearances.

Exactly. If 5 SEC teams all manage to get Saban clones and get Bama team clones, then they will be continually splitting the SEC Championship and not have near the success as Saban and Bama have had. That will then make at least a couple and maybe three of the teams then fire their coaches because they arent winning like Saban in present day. Its impossible for multiple teams to have that level of success since the pie cant be made bigger at the top.
If reaching the SEC Championship game 3 of the last 6 seasons and finishing ranked in the top 12 for Mullen's prior 3 seasons isnt enough success to allow for a down season, the coaching staff will just continue to be a vicious cycle of instability.

 

[Dawgbite]

I think Dan is probably better than a good coach and could be considered a great coach in the right situation. He’s just a terrible human being, he’s a first rate *******. We overlooked a lot of that because we were starved for any success and he gave us enough glimpses to blind us to his personality. It can be argued that Florida really isn’t the south but there is still enough of the south there that any coach has to play well with the good ole boy network or win. If you don’t do one or both, you’re out.

 

[tbaydog]

It's very evident, he's no " quarterback whisperer and offensive genius."

 

[Smoked Toag]

You aren't wrong. It all starts with knowing what works (whether just good or exceptional). It's an offensive coach. Spurrier and Swurban were exceptional. Sharkman and Shortz were alright. Zook and Muschump were awful.

So what was the difference in the exception coaches and the average ones? It appears to be speed and the high flying component of the offense, which also comes back to recruiting. Florida produces speed. For the life of me, I do not understand why Danny tried to install the same plodding offense that he used at MSU. He was the OC down there, so he knew what he needed.

My guess is that Danny rested on his laurels, and thought Florida would recruit itself, and then he ended up with a bunch of players similar to what he'd get at MSU. I think he thought it would be easier down there, and that his coaching would carry him. And then, this year, he had a down year, which typically happens at MSU, and not Florida. But the pressure ramped up worse than what would happen here, and it crumbled. He was in denial about it all, and only responding to pressure, which is demonstrated by his firing of Big Hevy and Grantham.

Bottom line is, he didn't rise up, take the next step, and use the resources that Florida afforded him. And that's fine with me, it makes the MSU job look better, and maybe coaches in the future won't be so quick to leave for greener pastures. And what was that next step, you might ask? Well, to me, it was finding a true OC (or letting someone on his staff actually BE the OC, and quit trying to control everything), perhaps maybe finding another DC (not sure that was the big issue), and spending more of his time on the big picture (game flow, media relations, and RECRUITING). I know those 3 things aren't his strengths but he has to address them if he ever wants to be successful at a major program.

To bring it all together, perhaps he was a bad fit, perhaps not. The way he went about things, he definitely was a bad fit. But I'm not sure they can find anybody better. Napier? Kiffin? Those are just another version of Danny. There just aren't many guys out there. I probably would not have fired him if I am Stricklandz, but we all know he's a ***** and won't be a proactive leader.

 

[paindonthurt]

I defended Mullen. Still think he could have won there but when you **** the bed you don’t really have much of an argument.

South Carolina and Missouri losses are bad.

Samford win might be worse though.

 

[thekimmer]

Firing Mullen was a no-brainer given how completely he had lost the team. With that said though, there is a bit of a stink about that program that goes beyond danny boy and to some extent loaferz too. Three consecutive coaches now have started out strong only to stall after a couple of years.

 

[Drebin]

I think I’m in the minority on this board in thinking Dan is a good coach… with that said, I think Florida made a bad call letting him go. It’s hard to imagine them upgrading from Mullen in a year when so many jobs are open.

The problem so many of these elite jobs have right now is they think they should be doing what Bama has done under Saban. That is impossible to pull off. We see now with this year that Dabo is not immune to an average year. The only other comparable to Bama has been Ohio state. Prior to saban’s run, it’s hard to imagine Mullen getting fired with his record and sec championship game appearances.

They didn't let him go for performance. They let him go because of program trajectory. Dan has lost the locker room, there's a culture problem, and recruiting is tanking. The hole was getting deeper it's hard to come back from those things. He also was fumbling things in the media - he was his own worst enemy.

 

[thekimmer]

Mullen is a good offensive coach and a pretty good schemer all around but he will NEVER be an elite coach in CFB the pitiful way he recruits.

 

[patdog]

What you're missing is, this wasn't just "a down season." He lost 9 of his last 11 P5 games. It's not a talent problem, or at least not just a talent problem. There's something really wrong in that locker room. It'll be interesting to see how the team responds now that he's gone.

 

[Smoked Toag]

Firing Mullen was a no-brainer given how completely he had lost the team. With that said though, there is a bit of a stink about that program that goes beyond danny boy and to some extent loaferz too. Three consecutive coaches now have started out strong only to stall after a couple of years.

I don't think he truly lost the team, people keep saying that, but I don't buy it. The players don't dance in the locker room with you after a win over Samford if they've lost confidence in you. I think he had a young team, and I guess it's possible the outside pressure kind of got to them.

ETA: He also had some injuries, and obviously Emory Jones was a dud. I think he'd have been OK with Richardson the next few years.

 

[RightOfCenter]

There are two Dan Mullen that exist IMO. There is Dan Mullen that is the Xs and Os, knows football, is motivated to win (not necessarily recruit) and is a good coach. This Dan Mullen has a fire. This Dan stopped around the time of the 2014 team getting success and never came back to state.

Then there is the ego Dan. The one that wants to get cute, he entertained other jobs constantly , be silly and let the pressure of outside influences control him.

I enjoyed the “fire in the belly” Dan at state. Not the ego Dan.

I think ultimately he will go the Joe Brady route and be a NFL OC because of his dislike of recruiting.

 

[onewoof]

all that matters is that its not anywhere near what Georgia has done in the last 7 seasons, which if you recall, was a principle reason he was hired. he could not take the Gators to that level in hi tenure but he did sink them this season to below the middle of the pack of the SEC, below Kentucky

It's always relative

 

[FISHDAWG]

Exactly. If 5 SEC teams all manage to get Saban clones and get Bama team clones, then they will be continually splitting the SEC Championship and not have near the success as Saban and Bama have had. That will then make at least a couple and maybe three of the teams then fire their coaches because they arent winning like Saban in present day. Its impossible for multiple teams to have that level of success since the pie cant be made bigger at the top.
If reaching the SEC Championship game 3 of the last 6 seasons and finishing ranked in the top 12 for Mullen's prior 3 seasons isnt enough success to allow for a down season, the coaching staff will just continue to be a vicious cycle of instability.

Agree ... But Mullen already knew what Florida expected and also how they were before he even considered taking the job down there .... He also knew how generous and patient we were, He made a decision and now is facing the consequences

 

[Smoked Toag]

There are two Dan Mullen that exist IMO. There is Dan Mullen that is the Xs and Os, knows football, is motivated to win (not necessarily recruit) and is a good coach. This Dan Mullen has a fire. This Dan stopped around the time of the 2014 team getting success and never came back to state.

Then there is the ego Dan. The one that wants to get cute, he entertained other jobs constantly , be silly and let the pressure of outside influences control him.

I enjoyed the “fire in the belly” Dan at state. Not the ego Dan.

I think ultimately he will go the Joe Brady route and be a NFL OC because of his dislike of recruiting.

There's something to this. However, I will say we only saw the fire in the belly Dan in phases:

Phase 1: His arrival, through the end of the the 2010 Gator Bowl massacre;
Phase 2: Middle of 2013, through the end of 2015;
Phase 3: Middle of 2016, through the 2017 Alabama game;

He coached AND recruited at a higher level during those times. It was very obvious.

 

[DoggieDaddy13]

He lost the locker room, for sure. The Samford game made that evident. You don't see a UF defense play that lethargic and uninspired. Maybe it was the asst. coaches that he lost after he canned Hevs and Grantham. I'm sure they all viewed themselves as possible short-termers.

FL is going to stay down for about five years - even if they get the guy they want. You don't just bounce back from this kind of **** show.

As for Mullen, he'll land in the NFL and probably be better off.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I think Mullen is gone because he comes across as a belligerent jerk whenever he faces adversity/tough questions and Florida(money guys) just isn't putting up with it.

 

[mstateglfr]

Agree ... But Mullen already knew what Florida expected and also how they were before he even considered taking the job down there .... He also knew how generous and patient we were, He made a decision and now is facing the consequences

True- the unrealistic expectations were known when he arrived.