GAINESVILLE, Florida – Florida coach Dan Mullen finally acknowledged making some “regrettable” comments last year, none more irritating than talking about – and bending down – filling the team’s stadium during a pandemic.
But Mullen did not apologize for being quiet after people close to Mullen told ESPN that they believed he would entertain the NFL at some point.
“There are a lot of rumors out there, but I haven’t spoken to anyone,” said Mullen during Zoom’s interview session on Tuesday, two days before spring training begins.
Mullen, 48, was asked specifically whether he wants to end as a professional, possibly after the next season or later.
“I will approach this in the following way: I think a lot of people are trying to find out what the future of college football has in store for us and what it will look like in the future,” he said. “I love being here at the University of Florida. I think we have a great program. We have a large fan base, a great history, the opportunity to be a championship every year.
“I think there are concerns with the coaches (in relation to) what the future of college football will be like … I think there is a lot of uncertainty that we are trying to find out now to see how our future will hold.”
Between the growing transfer portal that forces coaches to continuously recruit their own players and the undetermined challenges in terms of earning potential in name, image and likeness, it is easy to see why coaches may want to leave. The coronavirus pandemic also exposed university athletics for having a financial model capable of collapsing in the short term.
Former Florida and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer left the broadcast booth to join the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, becoming the third college coach in so many years to make the move. Kliff Kingsbury went from Texas Tech to Arizona Cardinals in 2019 and Matt Rhule jumped from Baylor to the Carolina Panthers in 2020.
Mullen certainly has the credentials, whether it’s turning the state of Mississippi into an occasional threat at the Southeast Conference or helping the Gators to become candidates for the title again. His resume also includes a lot of work with NFL quarterbacks, including Alex Smith, Cam Newton, Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott. Former Florida quarterback Kyle Trask will be Mullen’s next QB. Feleipe Franks, from Arkansas, can also be a final choice.
Mullen spent nearly three decades in college, including the past 16 years in the powerful SEC.
His last one was without a doubt the most difficult. He was admonished for comments about wanting to “pack the swamp” after a loss to Texas A&M and pushing 90,000 fans to Florida Field during a public health crisis.
He also stumbled after losing to Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl, insisting that the Florida team’s last 2020 game really came in the SEC title game. The Gators were left without their first four recipients and three defensive holders against the Sooners, and Mullen praised the effort of his “scout team players”, comments that were seen to undermine Oklahoma’s victory.
“Probably a few times I said things that, you know, maybe unfortunate, maybe they didn’t go right, maybe they were interpreted differently,” said Mullen. “You are always trying to improve, always trying to improve and look at it. I think one of the things to do is to look back, reflect and say ‘Hey, right now is the right way to approach something?'”
Mullen had other noteworthy moments in 2020.
The SEC scolded him and fined him $ 25,000 after league officials decided he did more to ignite than extinguish a tense situation against Missouri that led to a fight at Halloween break. Mullen donned a Darth Vader costume at his post-game press conference, essentially welcoming the villain role.
He found himself in dire straits just before Christmas, when the NCAA said Mullen was unable to “promote an atmosphere of conformity” because he had inadmissible contact with a recruit in Seattle and allowed inadmissible contact with seven teams that stopped in Gainesville on their way event in Tampa.
The violations led Florida to NCAA parole for the first time in 30 years.
The show’s cause penalty probably also means no increase or extension for Mullen, who is 29-9 since replacing Jim McElwain after the 2017 season. He has three years left on a $ 36.6 million six-year contract. which makes him the tenth highest paid coach in college football.
“Yes, I don’t control that part, so I have to worry about what I control,” he said. “This could be at someone else’s press conference. That would be a good question for them.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.