On Sunday, Florida officially made the decision to do what many fans have been hoping to see for the last few weeks as it chose to fire fourth-year coach Dan Mullen after a one-point overtime loss against the Missouri Tigers.
It was a shockingly rapid fall from grace. Before the three-game losing streak to end the 2020 season, Mullen was 29-6 at Florida and considered one of the fastest-rising names in the sport. But the sour conclusion to last year’s campaign signaled a decline that would continue this season.
Mullen made the decision to keep defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, which frustrated many fans, and recruiting issues that had been manageable up until this season started to manifest as noticeable talent deficiencies this season.
The Gators are now on their fourth coaching search in the last 10 years, and it’s crucial that they get this one right. At his press conference on Sunday, athletic director Scott Stricklin said that the school is looking for a coach who can sustain consistent competitiveness. That translates to elite recruiting, which is necessary to keep up with Georgia and Alabama in the conference.
Here are some of the potential candidates Florida could target to replace Mullen. Some are more realistic than others, but all are names that will likely be connected with this job, to varying degrees.