According to multiple media reports, including from ESPN, the Florida Gators have hired Mississippi State head coach, Dan Mullen, their new head coach. Mullen served as Florida’s offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer from 2005-2008. He has been the head coach at Mississippi State from 2009-2017. Mullen was 69-46 in Starkville. The Bulldogs went 33-39 in conference play and 5-2 in bowl games. His peak was 2014. Mississippi State went 10-3 and finished second in the SEC West, making it to the Orange Bowl. In his coaching career, Mullen has coached some of the top quarterbacks in the country including two starters in the NFL. Florida’s Athletic Director Scott Stricklin was the Athletic Director at Mississippi State before leaving and taking the Florida job.
Dan Mullen’s Coaching Career
Mullen started his coaching career in 1994 when he was the wide receivers coach at Wagner University. He coached at Wagner from 1994-1995 but left to become the wide receivers coach at Columbia. Mullen shortly left Columbia a short period of time as he became a graduate assistant at Syracuse for one season.
Mullen got another graduate assistant coaching job at Notre Dame for two seasons but then left to Bowling Green University. The Falcons hired him to be their quarterback coach left just after two season to be the QB coach for Utah. As a Ute, Mullen coached under Urban Meyer and coached Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. The NFL QB was the first pick taken in the 2005 NFL Draft. That same year, Mullen left Utah and went with Urban Meyer to coach at the University of Florida.
Mullen was Florida’ offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Chris Leak. In his first season at Florida, the Gators went 9-3 and won the Outback Bowl 31-24 versus Iowa. The very next season, the Florida Gators won their second National Championship after slaughtered Ohio State 41-14 led by Chris Leak and freshman sensation Tim Tebow. In Mullen’s third season, Tim Tebow became the youngest player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. In Mullen’s final season at Florida, the Gators won their third National Championship after knocking off Sam Bradford and the Oklahoma Sooners. After the season, Mullen was hired as Mississippi State’s head coach.
Dan Mullen at Mississippi State
It wasn’t an easy start for Dan Mullen at Mississippi State as the Bulldogs went 5-7 with the toughest schedule in the nation. In 2010, Mullen led the #15 Bulldogs to a 9-4 season including a 52-14 rout against Michigan in the Gator Bowl. Over the past few seasons, Mullen had a lot success including getting to the Orange Bowl in 2014. Mullen developed three-star quarterback Dak Prescott into one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the country. Prescott was taken in the fourth round in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott was named the starting quarterback and was selected into the Pro Bowl his rookie season. Mullen was currently 8-4 with the 14th ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2017 season.
