Will Florida fire Dan Mullen: Dan Mullen buyout, salary, contract details

Dan Mullen, Floria Gators. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Dan Mullen, Floria Gators. (Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Dan Mullen’s buyout at the Florida football head coach is not that bitter of a pill to swallow.

Florida football fans cannot be thrilled with how the team is performing under head coach Dan Mullen this season.

Only a year removed from winning the SEC East, Florida has already been eliminated from the College Football Playoff conversation before Halloween. This is a program that should win 10 games every year. If the Gators beat rival Georgia in Jacksonville, that should mean a trip to Atlanta is on the way. At this time, Florida looks like only the third-best team in its own division.

Fortunately, the boosters and university will not have to pay out the wazoo if they want Mullen to take a hike after this season. If Florida is truly displeased with the direction of the Florida football program under Mullen, his buyout won’t stand in the way.

Florida can afford Dan Mullen’s buyout

Mullen may make the sixth-most amount of money annually at $7.570 million, but the university would only have to pay him $12 million to buy him out of his contract. This is less than any head coach in his relative annual salary range.

Only Mullen, Kirby Smart and Ed Orgeron have buyouts of less than $20 million of top-10 most compensated head coaches working for public universities.

For $12 million, Florida can send Mullen packing so he can begin his coaching career in the NFL.

After Georgia dominated Florida in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Mullen’s seat has never been hotter during his time in Gainesville. It may only be a matter of when Mullen is fired, and not if at this point.

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