Dan Mullen releases statement after Florida departure

The University of Florida decided Sunday morning that the time had come to move on from head coach Dan Mullen after just four seasons at the helm, and his tenure concluded with a 24-23 overtime loss to Missouri.

Mullen amassed a 34-15 record in his time at Gainesville, but he finished just 13-10 in the last two seasons. Shortly after the Florida made it official with a 3:00 p.m. Scott Stricklin press conference, Mullen took to Twitter Sunday night to share a message and thank Florida Gators’ fans for their support.

“I want to thank UF President Dr. Fuchs, Scott Stricklin, the Board of Trustees, and Gator Nation for the privilege of being Head Football Coach at the University of Florida,” Mullen said on Twitter. “I will always cherish the two National Championships we won during my time at UF, along with the past three New Year’s Six Bowls to name a few. The program has a bright future ahead with the talent on the team and the new football facility that will be finished next spring. My family and I thank you for the honor of being your Head Football Coach.”

Stricklin in his opening statement also revealed details of his initial conversation with Mullen. He said that he offered Mullen the opportunity to coach Florida’s upcoming rivalry game against Florida State, a game in which both teams are looking to claim bowl eligibility, but Mullen declined, saying he didn’t want to be a distraction for the team. Thus, his time with Florida ended abruptly on Sunday.

Mullen’s tenure at Florida took a turn for the worst

Florida won its first SEC East title since 2016 a year ago but lost 52-46 in the SEC championship and 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl. Since then, things have unraveled for Florida.

The Gators have dealt with issues on the recruiting trail. With six decommitments, including five from the 2022 class, Florida dropped to No. 20 in On3’s consensus team rankings.

Florida’s season has been in a tailspin since it nearly knocked off Alabama in September. The Gators are 3-5 since then and enter this week’s game against rival Florida State still looking for bowl eligibility.

The recent overtime loss to Mizzou is just the latest in a string of disappointments. The Gators lost 40-17 at South Carolina was arguably their worst, but they also suffered disappointing losses to Kentucky and LSU.

Following the embarrassment against South Carolina, Mullen fired defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and run-game coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy. The moves were expected following the season, but Mullen fast-tracked his decision following the loss.

Days after the loss in the Palmetto State, Florida struggled against FCS Samford. The Gators trailed 42-35 at halftime, scoring more points in one half than Alabama, Kentucky or Tennessee did in four quarters this year against Florida. But the second half was a different story as the Gators came away with the 70-52 victory.

Still, it was another low point for Mullen and Florida this season. And in the locker room following the close win, the Gators raised some eyebrows with their celebration. Samford’s 52 points were the most an FCS team has ever scored against an SEC team.

The decision to fire Mullen reportedly cost $12 million in buyout fees, not including the buyout fees of Mullen’s assistants and support staff, which is likely to run up the cost even further.