Urban Meyer took a short break Sunday night from getting ready for the Big Ten Championship Game to give a thumbs-up to Florida’s hiring of Dan Mullen.
The former Florida coach brought Mullen from Utah to Gainesville in 2005.
“I think Dan’s awesome,” Meyer told the Sun. “He understands the lay of the land. He understands recruiting. He understands the expectations at Florida. He’ll embrace them.”
Mullen was the offensive coordinator at UF when Florida, led by Meyer, won a pair of national championships. During their time at UF, Florida also started several traditions like the Gator Walk and the singing of the fight song and alma mater.
“He understands the traditions because he was a part of it when they got started,” Meyer said. “I’m proud of him.”
Translation: “Thank you for the 2018 recruiting class defections.”
Go Gators!!!
#allinforthenewcoach
“He understands the traditions because he was a part of it when they got started,”
The traditions started way before Meyer and Mullins got to Florida.
Who is Mullins? And the two traditions they spoke of were both brought about under Meyer.
I’m really happy about the choice of Mullen. And I don’t give a damn what Coach Chest Pain-Family Time thinks about anything, and I hate that Dooley keeps working him into any stories at all. As a long-time Gator Dooley, you might want to do the sanguine “c’mon, it was just business, you’ve gotta get over it line” – as another long-time Gator, I will not get over what this jerk did to this program. My only hesitation over Mullen is that I never want him to invite that deceitful back for any celebration, or heaven forbid, have is name Ring of Honor’d.
Congrats Coach Mullen, and welcome back. Damn you Meyer, you traitorous pretender, Go Badgers!
Pat – how about another article detailing the hardships you must endure as a sports columnist, instead of these pitiful attempts to impress us with the relationships you’ve maintained with failed UF coaches.
Coach Mullen will right the ship. Great hire for the O&B. Go Gators!
Look what has happened to Tennessee we are lucky to get Mullen.
Florida gets a new head man and the best column Dooley can turn out is a piece on what Urban thinks of the hire. Who gives a crap what Meyer thinks? Truly Bizarre.
Mullen is a home run for the Gators. The future is bright in Gainesville!!!
Gators–lets quit bellyaching over Meyer leaving. I prefer to recall his legacy as 2 NC’s and the greatest player to ever play for UF. He left because fans were mad because we didn’t like how we got to 11-0, and we dared lose to AL in the 2009 SEC Champ. game. I remember those days vividly and the whining we fans were doing because we didn’t like HOW we were winning games. We were only 11-0, #1 in the nation, and had just won 2 out of 3 NC’s. And still whining like spoiled brats. We are not owed anything simply because we have won in the past. When is the last NC for Notre Dame? Nebraska? Michigan? Break out your DVD’s if you want to re-live the HBC days. I still do.
Also cannot believe the utter disdain many seem to have for Foley as AD. 12 different sports under his reign won NC’s–most with coaches he hired. Including all 3 football NC’s (yes I know he didn’t hire Spurrier, but still gets credit for allowing him free reign while he was here). I hope Stricklin is 75% the AD Foley was.
Welcome back to Hogtown Dan. Hoping you can add some banners to the wall! Or at least beat the criminoles.
Agree with all of this. I feel bad Dan’s wife had to go to Orlando for groceries to avoid fans bitching at her last time they were here. I was originally not excited about the thought of Mullen when all the other unproven names were being tossed around, but I think he brings consistency and more of a proven record than others. And it’ll be great if we can actually have the same coach for 9 years without running him off. Just hope he and his family don’t read these comment boards too frequently.
Kentucky Gator, Meyer showed himself to be a self-interested liar, bottom line. “Bellyaching”? Join the Dooley Club for Ostentatious Maturity. He used truly brilliant X-and-O skills, and a legendary QB to cover up for thugs like Harvin and Hernandez; he had a damn panic attack and used that as “health reasons” to show amazingly horrible leadership by resigning on 12/26/09, then in-resigning the next day; he quarter-assed the 2010 season, then left again on a lie, which wasn’t evident until months later (at that point I still liked him). He wanted a break, not “family time”, and didn’t have the guts to be honest with the Gators so invested with the football program. His move to Ohio State was telegraphed as long as a Franks pass too the flat, and excused and cheered by sports journalists including Chief Apologist Dooley; then he started dissing UF to Buckeye recruits, and hinting to the NCAA that we were cheating in Gainesville, all of which I guess you might dismiss as just being competitive. All this after standing there with his equally two-faced Shelly, proclaiming his love for UF and Gainesville, and how they would always be Gators.
You’re damn right I take it personally, and it is not “bellyaching” to point out that we are STILL trying to crawl out from under the stink he left here. Every wonder why HBC Muschamp would stop off to pick up Cocks HBS SOS, but they weren’t making similar efforts to dog-leg from Columbia to Columbus?
I am so disgusted with all things Meyer, I threw out my DVD’s for his two NC’s – I can’t even bear to watch them anymore.
I thing Dan was a great pick and am excited to welcome him. But don’t tell me to embrace the lie of his former boss. Go Badgers!
“Un-resigning”, dang auto-correct.
Oh, and don’t forget how Coach Family Time rode the Tebow train too hard after the near K.O. vs Kentucky, not giving John Brantley the reps he deserved/needed. In 2010, instead of (famously) molding his offense to fit the skills of his players, Meyer destroyed Brantley’s career before it really started through poor coaching and development. By the time Fat boy Weiss showed up to finish him off, he was already broken.
You forgot to mention they tried to run the spread with Brantley. Meyer wanted to force the kid into his system rather designing a system around the type of player you have. Agree 100% with your comments. If Saban had not come to Alabama Meyer would still be here. He could not handle the pressure
Pat, it’s not healthy to hold back your emotions. I really encourage you to take a dare and really just say what you feel. Give it a try.
LOL
Well said KG! Go Gators!!!!
Thank You Coach Meyer for the Two National Championships, I will always appreciate your contributions to Gator Nations!
With this Great hire by AD Stricklin; Gators welcome back former OC Dan Mullen who orchestrated the #1 offensive in the SEC at that time…as Their New Head Coach!!
(2) NC in part with Development / Excellent Play calling by Mullen…Gators/Mullen to take back the Swamp!!!
Go Gators!!!!
I imagine Dooley will now write an article about Muschamp’s opinion of the hire.
The only opinion that really counts, other than the AD’s, is SOS’s.
Thank You Coach Meyer! He knows Coach Mullen as well as anyone. Great pick by our AD & SOS approves. Go Gators!