Greg Knox will lead the Gators on Saturday when Florida State visits Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)
Knox Knows This Drill
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Greg Knox arrived for work Monday morning without his familiar boss down the hallway. Knox said he looked inside Dan Mullen's former office as he walked by but that he had no plans to move in.
On Sunday, Knox moved up when UF athletic director Scott Stricklin appointed him interim head coach following Mullen's dismissal.
Knox has been here, done that.
On Sunday, his wife, Toralyn, reminded him of that fact after news broke that Mullen was no longer Florida's head coach and that Stricklin had asked Knox to take over.
"We're doing this again, huh?" she said.
"Yes, we are," Knox responded.
When Mullen accepted the UF job following a call from Stricklin on Thanksgiving weekend in 2017, Knox was named Mississippi State's interim coach for the TaxSlayer Bowl against Louisville and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. The game ended with Knox, soaked from an ice-water bath, lifting the bowl trophy into the air on Jacksonville's crisp and clear afternoon.
The Bulldogs won 31-27 with a quarterback (Keytaon Thompson) making his first career start and a team in transition following Mullen's exit after nine seasons in Starkville. Knox was with Mullen for his entire tenure at Mississippi State. After Knox's stint as MSU's interim coach, the veteran assistant followed Mullen to Florida to become the Gators' special-teams coordinator and running backs coach.
On Saturday, the 58-year-old Knox will attempt to go 2-0 as a head coach when the Gators (5-6) host Florida State (5-6) in their annual rivalry game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Last year, the schools did not play when the Southeastern Conference adopted a 10-game conference-only schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Unlike four years ago when Knox had a month to prepare the Bulldogs for their matchup against Jackson and Co., he has only a week to get ready for the Seminoles, who have won five of their last seven games after starting the season 0-4.
The Gators won both meetings against Florida State under Mullen, snapping a five-game losing streak in 2018. Knox is urging the Gators to keep their winning streak in the series going with bowl eligibility on the line for both programs.
"Big, big game," Knox said. "We're playing a rivalry game, and it is big. We've got a group of seniors that we want to send off in the right way. They came here, they dedicated themselves to this program for five years, and we want to make sure they leave the right way.
"We're playing at home, and we win at home. That's the message."
Gators interim head coach Greg Knox gets doused with ice water after leading Mississippi State to a victory over Louisville in the 2017 TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville. (Photo: David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
Knox was pleased with the resiliency the Gators showed after clearing their heads following Sunday's team meeting. The team returned to practice Monday afternoon and needs a win Saturday and then a bowl victory to avoid the program's third losing season in nine years.
Senior running back Dameon Pierce said he was "shocked" at Mullen's removal and needed time to process the news.
"He just wanted us to know that we needed to end the season on a good note,'' Pierce said of Mullen's message. "Whether he is here or not, the fact remains we have to end the season with a win and beat Florida State."
The Gators started the season 3-1 and nearly upset then-No. 1 Alabama in September. However, they have lost five of seven, including their final four SEC games.
The quick turn of events followed a promising start in which many predicted the Gators would return to the SEC Championship Game following a 31-29 loss to Alabama.
"After that Bama [game], it showed us we could play with anybody in the country. But did I ever expect this, no?" Pierce said. "I don't think anybody did. It's just one of those things. We were just blindsided by it. Like everyone was. We were just blindsided by it. We practice hard, we play hard, we try, we have a great game plan. We just couldn't seem to find our groove this year."
FSU will visit "The Swamp" coming off back-to-back wins over Miami and at Boston College. On the day the Gators improved to 2-0 with a victory at USF, the Seminoles dropped to 0-2 with a home loss to Jacksonville State. The pressure on second-year head coach Mike Norvell kept rising after losses at Wake Forest and at home to Louisville.
Since the 0-4 start, FSU has shown consistent improvement as the Gators regressed.
"It's not a talent issue,'' Knox said. "It's an attention-to-detail issue. And if we're more attentive to detail than our opponent, we're going to win those games."
The Gators are coming off a 24-23 overtime loss at Missouri on Saturday night that sealed Mullen's fate. After sleeping on it, Stricklin said he woke up Sunday and decided to make a change.
Mullen was 34-15 and led the Gators to an SEC East title in 2020. However, over the past 14 games, Florida is only 5-9.
The Gators know that is below their standard.
"It's tough to deal with, but I wouldn't say it's on Coach Mullen,'' fifth-year senior defensive tackle Zachary Carter said. "It's a business, though. It's a business, and you have to understand that, and, you know, some guys are upset, a lot of guys are upset and things like that but, you know, we just have to move on, we have to focus up, and we have a big game."
Despite their recent struggles and Mullen's departure, the Gators are favored at home.
Knox is optimistic the Gators can do what Mississippi State did four years ago.
"I can't even tell you the number of text messages, Twitter messages, Facebook messages, I got from former players that saw that I was in his position," Knox said. "They know, and they were like, 'Hey, I know you'll get the job done. I know you'll do a great job.' It's confidence. It's relaxation. I'm relaxed in this situation."
He'll be more relaxed on Saturday night if the Gators win.
When Mullen accepted the UF job following a call from Stricklin on Thanksgiving weekend in 2017, Knox was named Mississippi State's interim coach for the TaxSlayer Bowl against Louisville and 2016 Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson. The game ended with Knox, soaked from an ice-water bath, lifting the bowl trophy into the air on Jacksonville's crisp and clear afternoon.
