Bill O’Brien hired by Patriots: 3 Alabama replacements to hire as offensive coordinator

Getting Dan Mullen back in his element makes too much sense for Alabama

Dan Mullen failed at Florida, at least by the standards that fans and boosters set in Gainesville. He failed to recruit at the level that the Gators are able to with the right head coach in place and, as such, was unable to fully compete in the SEC consistently at the way he was expected to.

However, to understand why Mullen would make sense at Alabama, you have to understand not the failures at Florida, but why he ended up there after his tenure at Mississippi State.

Really, his shortcomings in Gainesville and why he was eventually ousted can be summed up by saying that Florida misread the room. Mullen isn’t a recruiter at the highest level of the SEC. What he is, however, is a remarkably good developer of talent in addition to being a phenomenal offensive mind.

The intriguing fit with Alabama comes into play when you consider that the Crimson Tide ostensibly don’t need Mullen to be an ace recruiter given the strength of their staff in that regard. What they need is what they didn’t have in O’Brien, someone who can take these 4-star and 5-star young players and help them to reach their potential while putting them in position to succeed when on the field.

Mullen is bred to do that as an offensive coordinator. And again, Saban’s ability to rehab the image of wayward coaches has a strong recent track record. So if Mullen wants to step out from behind the ESPN desk, this move would be the one to do it for.

Return to Top of Page 1

For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.