Ranking the top 20 college football coaches for 2021

10. Dan Mullen, Florida

The level of difficulty for getting Mississippi State to the level that Dan Mullen was able to throughout his time in Starkville speaks highly enough of the head coach. But now that he’s three years into his time at Florida, we’re starting to see confirmation that he’s indeed one of the best in college football at what he does.

Interestingly enough, you might stump some people by telling them that Mullen’s Gators went only 8-4 last season. After all, it was a year in which Florida had a ton of hype surrounding them and in which they finally got past rival Georgia to win the SEC East. Yet, the overall record was actually the head coach’s worst showing since he arrived at Gainesville.

Mullen can still boast a 29-9 overall record with the Gators to this point, however, which is quite impressive in its own right. He showed his offensive prowess on the sidelines by molding one of the country’s best offenses last year and now is the time when he can make a huge jump up these rankings.

If Florida is able to handle some substantial personnel losses from last season, quickly insert a new quarterback to find success, and also find some more firepower on a talented defense while staying atop the SEC East, Mullen will have a strong case as a top-five coach in college football.