New Coach, New Energy as Gators Open Camp

Dan Mullen addresses the team after his first practice as UF's head coach. (Photo: Nicole Martin/UAA Communications)

New Coach, New Energy as Gators Open Camp

Friday, March 16, 2018 | Football, Scott Carter

The Gators practiced Friday for the first time since Dan Mullen returned to UF after nine seasons at Mississippi State.

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When the Gators took the field Friday afternoon for their first spring practice, they were surrounded by newness.

A new head coach. New assistants. New offensive and defensive schemes.

That's not all. They were surrounded by approximately 400 to 500 fans who turned out for the first of two open practices this spring. Saturday's practice is also open to the public.

"It was lovely,'' junior linebacker David Reese said. "I'm mad they only cheered for the offense, but that's fine. That's expected. They're the loved ones. It was a good turnout."

On a perfect March afternoon, head coach Dan Mullen finally got to conduct his first practice after more than three months of booster events, speaking engagements and introductions.

Mullen, decked in orange and blue and a visor atop his head, raced around the field at a brisk pace as the position groups conducted drills. He closely observed a series of seven-on-seven drills and stepped in to offer specific instructions to players when the need arose.

Though he has been on the job since late November, Mullen said he had a special feeling Friday after nine seasons at Mississippi State.

"It was like my first practice all over again,'' he said. "I was kind of nervous – that nervous energy. Maybe not as paranoid as I was at my first one before, because I've been a head coach at some practices now through the years. I definitely felt like this was my first practice as the head coach of the Florida Gators. I had unbelievable excitement and energy."

Redshirt senior tight end C'yontai Lewis sensed the new energy on and off the field. All he had to do was look toward the sideline where the majority of fans stood as the Gators practiced.

"There's never been a lot of people the first day of practice,'' Lewis said. "So I liked that. I love it, them clapping and everything for us. That was real exciting for me because I've never seen something like that since I've been here."

52304 — Fans watch Friday's practice, the first for the Gators under head coach Dan Mullen. (Photo: Nicole Martin/UAA Communications)

The Gators practiced for more than two hours, starting with warmup drills in the team's indoor practice facility before moving outside to the Sanders Practice Fields.

Fifth-year senior R.J. Raymond has experienced three coaching changes since joining the program as a walk-on in the summer of 2014. He said Friday's practice is one of his most memorable.

The fans were great, but so was the renewed vigor.

"We were flying around,'' he said. "They did a good job of only putting in a certain amount of stuff, to let us come out here and fly around and be able to teach each other and just kind of play the game."

As expected, fans reacted the loudest to big offensive plays. Quarterbacks Feleipe Franks, Kyle Trask, Emory Jones and Jake Allen all took turns in the rotation and running back Jordan Scarlett participated in his first practice since prior to the 2017 season.

Mullen plans to spend a lot of time evaluating the quarterback battle this spring. He left practice eager to watch film, but as first days go, Mullen praised the quarterbacks for the way they reacted to different situations.

"In talking to them, I like their attitude, their demeanor,'' he said. "All the little things to me – making reads, we'll get all that coached up. Technique, fundamentals, they'll figure some of that stuff out as we go. To me, it's the energy. It's the leadership that's up there. Their attitude, their presence, their demeanor. I thought they did a pretty good job of that."

The Gators spent a lot of time on fundamentals at the start before running the same plays over and over with different personnel groupings.

They did it all at a brisk pace which the players seemed to enjoy.

"It makes it more fun,'' Raymond said.

"When someone news comes around, everybody gets a sense of just a new feel, a new vibe,'' senior offensive lineman Martez Ivey said. "That's good. That's what I mean by new energy."

Mullen said earlier in the week that his plan was to introduce the players to new concepts slowly to allow them to go out and react. He wants to see what they can do physically before challenging them too much mentally.

He was pleased with the tempo they maintained on day one.

"I thought they did pretty good,'' Mullen said. "There's a lot of new things. They tried to put in the effort to do what we want them to do."