Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The sales pitch didn't take very long this time around for Gators head coach Dan Mullen.

When Mullen departed Florida after the 2008 season to become head coach at Mississippi State, he offered John Hevesy a spot on the Bulldogs' staff. Hevesy had worked with Mullen on Urban Meyer's staff since the start of the 2001 season, first at Bowling Green, then at Utah and Florida.

They knew each other like brothers.

Still, Hevesy had a good thing going with the Gators with a pair of national championship rings in four seasons. He eventually said yes.

"It was a new challenge,'' Hevesy said Thursday. "That's the biggest thing."

After nine seasons together at Mississippi State, when Mullen offered Hevesy an opportunity to return to UF as co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach, he got an "absolute yes" from his longtime colleague.

Same goes for Billy Gonzales, the Gators' co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach. Gonzales stayed an extra season at Florida when Mullen and Hevesy left for Mississippi State, but after four seasons apart, the three amigos reunited when Gonzales joined the Bulldogs in 2013.

One of their first requests when offered jobs at Florida for a second time: "Send me some gear'' Mullen said.

The trio changed school colors and hit the road almost immediately to recruit. Three months into their second stint with the Gators, the three seek to rekindle the magic they experienced their first go-round in Gainesville on Meyer's staff.

"We understand what's expected at Florida,'' Gonzales said Thursday. "When you come to Florida you're not coming here to be a state champion."

Mullen and Hevesy are entering their 18th season together, and 14 of those have come with Gonzales a member of the staff. Their longevity together in a business that is in constant flux is unique in today's day and age.
 
It works for them, though.

"It's a brotherly love,'' Hevesy said. "We'll fight like brothers, we'll laugh like brothers. It's a good thing to have."

Their roles are essentially the same at Florida as they were at Mississippi State since the start of the 2014 season. All three will share in coordinating the offense, with Hevesy specializing in the running game and Gonzalez the passing game.

They have been together so long that at times they can sense one another's thoughts without the need for words.

"When you start cutting your teeth and as a grunt, kind of coming up the system together, you have a lot of time between myself, him and John,'' Gonzales said. "You've been in the fire with somebody for that many years, I think you're on the same page. The experience we've had together kind of brings a little bit more continuity to the staff."

Since the day Mullen announced Hevesy and Gonzales as co-offensive coordinators, Gator fans have wondered what exactly that means. They are familiar with Mullen's success as Florida's offensive coordinator under Meyer, but co-coordinators can have a nebulous ring.

Both Hevesy and Gonzales said Thursday that the system is built on trust and familiarity, and to expect quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, who played under the trio at Utah and was offensive coordinator at Houston last season, and Larry Scott, Florida's tight ends coach and offensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2017, to also have a say.

Of course, as head coach Mullen has final say.

"I don't know if there's a science to it,'' Hevesy said. "It's working together so long we kind of know how we're doing things. There's a great trust factor."

Added Gonzales: "There are no egos. We're all going to be working in piecing this thing together. That's how we've always done it since we've been together."

Hevesy said the first task is to identify the starting quarterback and then build the offense around him, the same way they did at Utah with Alex Smith, at Florida with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow, and at Mississippi State with Dak Prescott and Nick Fitzgerald.

The offense must fit the quarterback's strengths instead of forcing the quarterback to adjust to the offensive system they have used in the past. Hevesy said the transition took until around midseason their first year at Florida together in 2005 to make some changes to benefit Leak.

At the end of their second season, the Gators were national champions.

Fast forward 12 years and Mullen, Hevesy and Gonzales are back for Round 2. They plan for a similar outcome.

"We all know what the ultimate goal is,'' Hevesy said. "We left on a really high note and we're going to continue bringing it back here on a high note."