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* Video: Callaway at the NFL Combine
* Quarterback taking a spring visit to Florida
* 3 Stripe Camp MVP will visit Florida
* Florida extends 20-plus offers this week
* Alley: Monday-Tuesday offer list
* Florida Gators NFL Combine Preview
* Notebook: Mullen needs fans to buy in, show up
* 30 DAY FREE TRIAL OFFER (PROMO CODE Gators30)
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A year ago Dan Mullen was in the same spot that he was this weekend; walking the red carpet at the Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament and Gala. Only this time he was there not as a Mississippi State coach there to support his former player, but instead as one of the Gators himself.
Timing is everything so as former Florida greats and sports personalities took their turn with reporters, talk turned to the guest coming through the door and why this was finally the moment for Mullen to assume his new title amongst this vaulted crowd.
One of those fellow Gators, Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel, has already felt inspired by the new skipper.
“I think he brings so much enthusiasm. I heard his press conference and after he said relentless effort like 7,000 times I was like motivated to be a better dad and everything.”
For SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt, an old friend of Mullen and his wife Megan, the timing with the arrival of the former Gators offensive coordinator will bring a breath of fresh air.
“There was a lot going on there as we know; I’m not going to bring up fishing trips or whatever—sometimes just laugh man, shake it off it’s really not that big a deal. That was then, Dan’s here, where at Tim Tebow’s event, life is good.”
For the future though Van Pelt says success will take time, but remembering past times should help give Florida fans confidence.
“Florida is Florida and I think given his relationship with Tim [Tebow] and with that time, it’s a direct link to that which is important. Florida is a tough job; really, really tough because you’ve had really, really great times and everything is graded against that. And so just being good isn’t good enough and that is really hard to live with and he knows that. Hopefully for Gator fans he can be good enough and he was when he was here before.
“They could use better facilities cause it’s an arms race in that league which is crazy and they could use a little bit of help on that front. But you give him a chance—and I mean give him a chance in terms of facilities— and give him a chance to be good and not be impatient like every other SEC fanbase including [Florida] then maybe it’ll work out. But patience is in real short supply when it comes to SEC football fans.”
Patience can be the key though if it comes to not just fans but quarterbacks as well. Mullen’s former Heisman winning quarterback, Tebow, says now that the moment has come for the coaches dream to come true, he just needs a bit of time with his signal callers.
“He's always had the intellectual ability to understand plays, to be a great play caller, designs, teach quarterbacks...he knows how to help develop a quarterback, and he also knows—listen Florida was spoiled for a long time. [Steve] Spurrier came in, the Fun-and-Gun. Florida wants to see points and he knows that and he knows they haven't necessarily had that in the past and so he's gonna do his best to bring that back and how do you do that? You develop a quarterback. He's really does a great job of assessing a situation and understanding everything that's going on and what he has to do to be successful.
Mullen himself hasn’t been on field with his players in pads yet; as such he was relieved to hear he wouldn’t have to field questions about his quarterbacks this weekend because, “I don’t know yet, I gotta see them throw.”
Between incumbent Feleipe Franks, redshirt Jake Allen and early enrollee Emory Jones the competition will be any mans game this spring. In the meantime though he has had enough time with his guys to know he’s ready to hit the practice field.
“It’s going great. They’re buying in, the guys, working their tail off in the weight room and off-season conditioning and I’m really excited to get out there on the field after spring break and see what everybody can do.”
While the team still has a litany of question marks surrounding the future, there’s one man who feels confident about the impact of the new head coach.
Urban Meyer may understand better than anyone the position Mullen currently finds himself in, preparing to lead the Florida Gators. After coaching alongside the man for two National Champions in 2006 and 2008 then talking with him over the job offer in 2017, Meyer has confidence that Dan Mullen is not only the right man for this demanding job but comes at the time perfect for the Florida Gators.
“All schools especially elite schools are complicated. You’re talking about Florida; hi, hi end academics, very passionate fan base and a team that expects to win it all, there’s not many schools like that... Dan and I were talking; we were talking about pros and cons because he was in a great place as well but I think both of us feel so strong that Florida was the right time—right place, right time.
“He knows the landscape, he knows Florida; and the SEC East, they’re gonna feel Dan Mullen.”
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