Tuesday, December 5, 2017 | Football, Ticket Office
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I am honored to be your head football coach at the University of Florida.
By: Dan Mullen
Gator Nation:
I cannot tell you how excited, proud and honored I am to be your head football coach at the University of Florida. It has been a nonstop first week -- meeting the team, working with our staff, and recruiting the best players to be part of our program.
My wife Megan and I have extraordinary memories from our four previous years here, including our two National Championship titles. We know how special Florida is and are thrilled to bring the excitement and winning ways back to Gator Nation. I've loved seeing old faces, meeting new ones, and I smile just walking down the hallways reliving all the great memories.
We will work with relentless effort to return the football program to a National Championship level in everything we do. You will be proud of this team on the field and in the classroom and in the community. The University of Florida is a top-10 academic institution, and in addition to National Champions, Olympians, and Academic All-Americans, successful graduation rates are the norm.
Coach Mullen met with his new team for the first time on Monday, Nov. 27.
Since our first team meeting, the players know we will outwork everyone and give our best in everything we do. We discussed our core values and making the right decisions. Being a champion is not a sometimes thing. It is a way of life. I also told them to rest up because when they return from holiday break, our offseason conditioning program is going to be something they have never experienced in their lives.
My expectation is to be the hardest-playing team in the country. I do not know if we will be the biggest. I do not know if we will be the fastest. I hope that some years we will be both. However, I do know we will be the hardest-playing team every single Saturday when we take the field, and that is something I am going to demand of our players.
As much as we demand of them, we will have fun doing it. The fun will be in the preparation in everything we do to be champions.
Our staff, which we are assembling, will solely focus on recruiting great football players and young men that have a desire to be developed both on and off the field. When you wear that Gator on your chest, just about every player in the country wants to listen to what you have to say because of the success of this program, and what the Gators represent – the premier program in college football.
We have an unbelievable and passionate fan base, and myself, Megan and our two children look forward to meeting many of you soon. Thank you for supporting our program, staff, student-athletes, the university and for welcoming me back. I'm home!
