Florida football is in crisis mode after losing three games in a row, prompting Dan Mullen to fire DC Todd Grantham and OL coach John Hevesy.
Coaches on the hot seat have a tried and tested method for clinging to their jobs: Throw coordinators and position coaches under the bus.
On Sunday, Florida’s Dan Mullen offered up sacrificial lambs in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive line coach John Hevesy in a bid to turn things around in Gainesville.
FOX Sports and The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman was the first with the news:
Florida football parting with Todd Grantham is a sign of Dan Mullen’s hot seat
Grantham has been under fire for the performance of the Gators defense for weeks now. They’ve given up 34 or more points in each of the last three weeks to LSU, Georgia and South Carolina.
The loss to the Gamecocks, 40-17, pretty much sealed his fate. They had 459 yards of total offense and 284 yards rushing, both season highs.
Grantham was Mullen’s defensive coordinator at Mississippi State before leaving with the head coach to join his staff at Florida. He was in vogue enough in 2019 for the Bengals to try to steal him away.
Hevesy has been with Mullen even longer. They were both on Urban Meyer’s staff at Bowling Green in 2001. He came along for stints at Utah and Florida then jumped to Mullen’s staff when he got the job at Mississippi State.
The offensive line coach was not popular among Gator fans because of his deficiencies as a recruiter. Letting him go could be a sign that Mullen is trying to change the approach his staff takes on that front.
These changes don’t guarantee Mullen’s job is safe this year, but they certainly suggest he might be getting another chance to make things work with the Gators.
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