On the first week of December in 2008, Dan Mullen secretly got away from the Florida Gators as they were preparing for a National Championship and interviewed for the head coaching job at Mississippi State. Last week, Mullen’s offensive coordinator did the same.

Luckily for Mullen, the Gators, and Gator Nation, Brian Johnson is remaining with the team.

The 33-year old was elevated from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator prior to the 2020 season. He replaced Billy Gonzales and John Hevesy, who have served as co-offensive coordinators to Mullen since 2009. The move should have been a signal to Florida fans that Johnson won’t be long for Gainesville.

He was nominated for the Broyles Award on Tuesday, given to the best assistant coach in the nation, and is quickly becoming a hot name to become a head coach in the not so distant future. Mullen recognized that, and elevated Johnson’s role, firstly, because he deserved it, but also because it would be the springboard Johnson needed to take the next step in his career. Not many quarterbacks coaches, even at a school like Florida, will get head coaching jobs. However, an offensive coordinator running one of the nation’s best offenses will keep his agent’s phone buzzing. That should tell you just what Mullen thinks of Johnson as a coach and as a person. It’s a lot to take on for someone who has only been coaching for ten years.

It may be his first season as offensive coordinator but Johnson and the Gators are putting together a prolific season. The Gators 378 points are the sixth-highest total though the first nine games in program history. The Gators’ 42.0 points per game this season rank 10th nationally and second in the SEC. Their scoring average currently ranks seventh on the program’s single-season record list. Johnson is also mentoring a Heisman Trophy candidate in Kyle Trask, who is breaking school records on a weekly basis.

His quarterback, gave him a ringing endorsement this week.

“I think he'll definitely be a great head coach when his time comes,” Kyle Trask said. “You know he's a natural leader and knows how to score points and he's played in big games. You know he's played against I think Alabama when he was at Utah, he's played in big games in college and has proved that he can be a great coach at the highest level in college, so I think he would make a great head coach.”

His on-field accolades are what will get him a call and get him in the door but, according to those around him, it’s Johnson the person that will eventually earn him a head coaching job.

“When you look at Brian, he’s a dynamic person. He’s a great staff guy. He’s very knowledgeable about the offense and football in general,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “The other thing is he has a great relationship with his players and has the ability to communicate. Anytime you can communicate with players and get them to believe -- belief is a powerful tool – and it allows you to get the most out of guys. I think those are the things that he does a really good job of.”

Kyle Pitts echoed that.

“I think he would be a great head coach because the person he is off the field,” Pitts said of Johnson. “He has a great relationship with everybody and when it’s time to lock in for business I wouldn’t even say he’s, he’s a teacher of the game because he knows so much and his knowledge of the game, everyone feeds off his energy. I feel like he would be a great leader to any team if he chooses to go that route.”

Johnson’s first interview for a head coaching job didn’t yield a new opportunity but thanks in large part to the job Johnson has done with the quarterbacks and the offense, the Gators have opportunities of their own. Florida will look to get revenge this Saturday against an LSU team that beat the Gators in Death Valley last season. Then, Florida will turn its attention to Alabama and the SEC Championship. A win over the Crimson Tide will give the Gators a chance to play for a National Championship.

“Ultimately, I think at the end of the day when you get in this profession and you do a good job, you do a good job, people notice and you get opportunities,” Johnson said. “It was good to get those reps, but I’m really looking forward to what we have going on here, it’s always great to be a Gator.”