Gator players showing loud support for Nick Savage

When a school moves on from a head football coach it's just the first domino to fall as a new head coach will bring in his own staff.

College football is a business, big business, and the coaches know that when they sign up. It can be a migrant lifestyle for some, which makes Greg Knox's 27-consecutive years in the SEC, for just two coaches nearly unbelievable. Knox will serve as the interim head coach for the Gators this week when they host Florida State to end the 2021 season and is continuing to do his job despite an uncertain future.

“As a staff, we’re contacting every kid we’ve been recruiting, letting them know the situation, let them know we still want you to be a Florida Gator," Knox said Monday. "We’re here for you. Next week, the contact period we’ll be in the homes delivering our message.”

In the hours since Dan Mullen's firing was announced, there has been a groundswell of support for one coach in particular. Nick Savage.

Savage joined Dan Mullen's strength staff in 2013 and was elevated to the interim head strength coach during December 2015 as MSU prepared for the Belk Bowl following the departure of Rick Court to Maryland. Savage was given the job the following season and Mullen brought him to Gainesville to run the strength and conditioning program for Flordia.

There was a note that several players tweeted in support of retaining Savage and Zach Carter echoed that sentiment on Monday.

“Because of how much Coach Savage means to us. Coach Savage, we spend the most time with him because he’s our strength coach. So Coach Savage has a lot of close relationships with us and he really takes the time to get to know players and he really pours into the players," Carter said. "So, as y’all see, a lot of guys are tweeting today about keeping Savage. He’s had a big impact on a lot of players here and former players. So guys around here love Coach Savage.”