30 best college football coaching hires this century
By Nick Villano
29. Dan Mullen – Florida
The Florida Gators had a rough go of it after Urban Meyer left in 2010. They tried Will Muschamp, and that ended terribly after three and a half seasons. Jim McElwain started off really good, but it ended all the same. Then, Florida finally got it right. They had to go back to their Meyer roots, but Dan Mullen has the Florida program going in the right direction.
Mullen hasn’t been with Florida terribly long. However, the program was in such dire straits, they desperately needed the right hire. Brass in Gainesville made the wrong choice two times in a row. The last time two Florida coaches lasted less than four seasons in a row was back in the 1920s. It couldn’t happen again.
Mullen immediately took this team from a four-win team to a 10-win team in his first season as head coach. He then became an 11-win team in his second season. There’s a lot to be told here, but Mullen seems like the best thing Florida has done since Meyer was in Gainesville to compete for SEC championships and national titles.