Mullen in Transition Mode, Gators Links, Poff Dies

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gators head coach Dan Mullen is in the midst of a popularity surge.

Since Friday, when UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin contacted Mullen to gauge his interest in the Florida opening, Mullen has gained nearly 20,000 Twitter followers as of Wednesday afternoon, pushing his follower count past 171,000. Mullen has added more than 5,000 Instagram followers over the same time span via research by Bruce Floyd, who manages the Gators' official social media outlets.

Florida fans are enthusiastic Mullen, the Gators' offensive coordinator from 2005-08, can revive the program coming off a 4-7 season. It helps that in his four seasons at Florida, Mullen helped the Gators win two national titles and served as Tim Tebow's quarterbacks coach.

Mullen was noticeably excited to be back at Florida during his introductory press conference, displaying the kind of revved-up enthusiasm he has received from his followers on social media.

48087 — Gators coach Dan Mullen met with the players on Monday before departing town to recruit. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

"I'm thrilled to be your coach,'' Mullen said. "I'm thrilled to represent this university. I'm thrilled to represent all the students, the faculty, every Saturday on the football field. I'm thrilled to represent the fan base."

The mood in Starkville, Miss., as you might imagine, has a different tone.

Mullen enjoyed unprecedented success with the Bulldogs, going 69-46 in nine seasons and in 2014, taking the Bulldogs from unranked to No. 1 in six weeks, the fastest rise to the top in the game's history.

In the story linked above from The Columbus (Miss.) Dispatch, Bulldogs fan Andy Chapman offered a diplomatic view to Mullen's sudden exit, which will take others more time.

"Mullen is the guy you want to borrow your mower,'' Chapman told the newspaper. "It wouldn't crank and had dull blades. He returns it full of gas, new air filter and sharpened blades. Can't be mad about that. Wish he would have cut the grass one more year, but hey, [MSU Athletic Director] John Cohen can find a guy. We could be in much worse shape."

Mullen, during his press conference at UF on Monday, made sure to address the Mississippi State supporters for their help in his time in Starkville.

"I want to thank – I do, I was very fortunate – I do thank everybody at Mississippi State University for the opportunities that they gave me there,'' Mullen said. "There was a great administration, a great athletic director, great president, and great people there and a great community that embraced and believed in me, and moving forward, I hope, that they continue to have the success that has been built up over the last several years and that they continue to build that program in the right direction."

Meanwhile, it didn't take long for Cohen to find Mullen's replacement. The school announced Wednesday the hiring of Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead as the program's new head coach.

Mullen offered a congratulatory message on Twitter:

Congrats @BallCoachJoeMo. I know that you will love Starkville just as much as Megan and I did. StarkVegas and the people of Mississippi will always be so special to us. https://t.co/XWLzLyxDVF
— Dan Mullen (@CoachDanMullen) November 29, 2017

Since the Gators and Bulldogs are in different divisions, they don't meet that often in the Southeastern Conference regular season. The schools last played in 2010, a 10-7 Mississippi State win over the Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Urban Meyer's final season at UF and Mullen's second season at MSU.

But on Sept. 29, Florida visits Mississippi State in what is certain to be a memorable matchup.

Mullen, who has been on the road recruiting since concluding a busy Monday, admits it will be an emotional one in his first season at UF.

"That will be a tough game,'' he said. "I'm a competitor. I mean, I'm worried about us winning, that's it. But emotional when you look across the field and you know the personal relationships you have with every one of those players that are out there on the field, and those guys and knowing what they have gone through.

"So I think it will be emotional, emotional that way to have to go against them. But you know, concern No. 1 is going to be winning the football game."

*****

There has been a lot written about Mullen and the Gators over the past 48 hours. Here is a glance at some of the latest links:

Dan Mullen arrives at Florida knowing exactly what's expected of him writes Andy Staples of SI.com.
Gators coach Dan Mullen ready for expectations, to 'score a hundred' writes Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com.
Dan Mullen is a better Florida fit than 'the other guy' writes Martin Fennelly of The Tampa Bay Times.
New UF coach Dan Mullen quickly building staff writes Edgar Thompson of The Orlando Sentinel.
Stricklin to be involved in decision on nine suspended players writes Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports.com.
UF releases McElwain buyout, Mullen's contract breakdown by Robbie Andreu of The Gainesville Sun.
How much impact will Dan Mullen have in his first season at Florida? – question posted by Ryan Young of SECCountry.com.
UF's coaching search smooth compared to craziness elsewhere writes Gene Frenette of The Florida Times-Union.

*****

It was good to see several former UF football players in attendance at Mullen's press conference on Monday, including Scot Brantley, Darryl Perry, Shane Matthews, Steve Tannen and several others.

Speaking of ex-players, RIP to former Gators linebacker David Poff, a three-year letterwinner for the Gators from 1970-72. Poff died unexpectedly on Nov. 19.

"David was a great teammate and a wicked-hitting linebacker,'' former UF linebacker Ralph Ortega, sixth on the school's all-time career tackles list, wrote on Legacy.com. "Pound for pound, the hardest hitter I've ever seen. The Gator family will never forget #57."

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