Paul Finebaum questions Dan Mullen's future at Florida

It’s fair to question whether head coach Dan Mullen survives much longer at Florida, despite a June extension that saw Mullen’s contract lengthened through the 2026 season.

Mullen has led Florida to an abysmal 4-5 performance in 2021, which was capped off most recently by a baffling, 40-17 loss to a rebuilding South Carolina program. Shortly after that game, Florida confirmed reports that the Gators were parting ways with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive coordinator John Hevesy, the latter of whom has been on Mullen’s staff for roughly two decades.

Even after the assistant coach firings, however, ESPN college football analyst Paul Finebaum maintained his belief that Mullen is in muddy water with Florida.

“I don’t think so,” Finebaum said Monday on The McElroy and Cubelic Show, when asked if he thinks the firings are enough to keep Mullen safe at Florida. “And I think a lot of eyes are on Dan Mullen today. How does he handle this moment? He’s handled pretty much every other moment this year terribly. And I think the optics of this program become very important. Now I really don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. I can guess that Scott Stricklin does not want to make a change. Because it’s a tough coaching-hire environment. The buyout’s really not important I don’t think. But bailing on Dan Mullen is extremely difficult, if indeed they do that. I think those decisions have yet to be made.”

About a year ago, Mullen led the Florida Gators to an SEC Championship game berth, where they ultimately fell short of Alabama 52-46. The Gators looked like an improved last year, winning the SEC East and ultimately making it to the Cotton Bowl, where they lost to Oklahoma. Things look quite different this season.

“I think we need to quite acting like there isn’t a serious problem down there,” Finebaum said of Florida. “We need to quit talking about what a great coach Dan Mullen is and what an extraordinary job he’s done. That doesn’t matter any more. That has all been blown up. That is all out the window now. And the question you have to ask is: Do you believe, if you’re a Florida fan, do you believe Dan Mullen can get this ship righted, fixed and progressing? Not sputtering along and avoiding losses to South Carolina, but competing with Georgia. And right now, I think if you’re being objective, if you’re being honest with yourself, the answer is ‘no.’”

Finebaum echoed a similar sentiment on The ESPN College Football Podcast Sunday. He argued that the narrative surrounding Mullen — which props Mullen up as a great coach that’s struggled a bit with recruiting — must change.

It’s hard to put yourself in athletic director Scott Stricklin’s shoes and make an informed decision on the Florida coaching debacle. But for the time being, Finebaum suggests that the athletic director has at least considered change — something that seemed unlikely just a few months ago, when Mullen inked a contract extension.

“I’m not suggesting anything, I’m just trying to put myself up in the mind of Scott Stricklin,” Finebaum said. “If you’re sitting there going, ‘Do I believe (in) Dan Mullen’ – as Scott Stricklin is talking to himself this morning – ‘Do I believe he can turn this thing around and have us competing for championships?’ And let’s not talk about last year, I know that game was close, but nobody was beating Alabama last year. So let’s take that part, let’s take that game out of the equation as well.”