Looking back, Dan Mullen’s time as the head coach of the Florida Gators was quite impressive on paper. His tenure saw a strong start with a 10-3 record in 2018, followed by an 11-2 season in 2019. Although his third season ended with an 8-4 record, his fourth and final season faltered with a disappointing 5-6, leading to his dismissal.
Under Mullen, Florida consistently performed well, reaching a New Year’s Six bowl game and finishing in the top 15 of the Associated Press Top 25 Poll for three consecutive seasons from 2018 to 2020.
The decision to fire Mullen after the lackluster 2021 season, where the Gators underperformed, remains debatable. Mullen himself seems to feel he was unfairly treated, believing he deserved more time to turn things around.
During Florida’s season-opening defeat to Miami, Mullen added a touch of humor to the situation by retweeting a post from his ESPN colleague, Matt Barrie. The tweet read: “The Florida coach who got fired went to three consecutive New Year’s Six games in his first three years and was let go in his fourth season.”
To quote Shaboozey, "Oh my. Good Lord." pic.twitter.com/mjzRBfEI5s
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) August 31, 2024
Mullen hasn’t taken on a coaching role since his departure from Florida. It’s worth noting that he achieved significant success with players inherited from the previous coach, Jim McElwain. The 2021 season, marked by struggles, highlighted concerns about Mullen’s recruiting abilities, a point once subtly noted by Kirby Smart.
Despite these challenges, Mullen’s record at Florida—34-15 with wins in both the Peach Bowl and the Orange Bowl—stands out as one of the most successful coaching tenures at Florida in the past 50 years, aside from those of Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier.
In the nearly three years since Mullen’s departure, current head coach Billy Napier has struggled, with a record of 11-15. Additionally, Mullen’s record against Florida State and Miami remained unbeaten, adding a bit more perspective to his time with the Gators.
