GAINESVILLE, Fla. – I’m not sure there is ever a right way to say goodbye. So, I am going to simply tell you what I have experienced and learned over the last two years and hopefully something worthwhile comes of it.

It is weird to think this part of my life is over.

Looking back on it, I still cannot believe the opportunities I have been able to find while at the University of Florida, and the internships with WAOC in St. Augustine, Fightin Gators and Gators Territory in so short a time.

Two years ago seems like a lifetime. Before Florida I was a business major at St. Johns River State College without a clue what I was doing. I was not one of those kids who at five years old knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I was just a kid making it up as I went. I still am to a degree.

All I knew was at SJR I wasn’t happy where I was or what I was studying. Accounting bored the living hell out of me and I wanted out. So, I made a decision and looked at what I enjoyed doing and what I spent the most of my time on.

That’s when I realized Neil Everett, Stan Verrett, Mike Greenburg, Mike Tirico and Colin Cowherd actually went to school to learn how to talk about sports all day. I finally knew what career I wanted. So, I applied and was accepted into UF ‘s College of Journalism and Communications as a transfer and my life was changed.

Now my journey at UF is coming to a close and these last couple of years has meant more to me than I can truly put into words. I learned more than I could have imagined, but what I think will stick with me the most is there is no excuse for a bad attitude and you control what how you respond to things.

There are so many challenges within this field. It’s extremely competitive, doesn’t pay well, and I know I will be working holidays and weekends, but that’s what I signed up for. Everyone experiences adversity, but a bad attitude and unwillingness to change only makes that worse.

There is no better example of how big a difference attitude makes than what I learned covering Florida’s football program under Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen. I have not seen two completely polar opposite styles of coaching than these two guys.

It really hit me as soon as I arrived in Gainesville. I began working with FightinGators.com and started covering football practices and games while the Gators were under McElwain.

I had no point of reference for what a college football coach was like and how things were done, so I didn’t think twice when Mac went about press conferences the way he did or availability was scarce or practices were completely closed off to the media or even ran the team the way he did.

That was never an issue to me. Guys like Nick Saban act in similar ways. What always stood out to me about Mac though is that it never seemed like he was happy to be there. No matter where it was I always got the sense he wanted to be somewhere else.

Press conferences were cold. Mac always seemed to say whatever he needed to get through them and there were a lot of similar answers. When it comes to his team though it was easier to notice.

Starting an unprepared Feleipe Franks in the opener against Michigan was a terrible decision. Claiming the offensive line was the strength of the team when it obviously was a weak link, and the unwillingness to adapt to what you had in terms of ability on the field also made for a terrible season. And the strength and conditioning program spoke for itself.

But Mac never seemed to care one-way or the other at least from my perspective. It was never really his fault. He was a my way or the highway type of guy and if something didn’t work the players had to step up and learn the system better and fix it.

The coaches provided the game plan and it was up for the players to learn it and meet those expectations. It just never seemed like a recipe for sustained success and obviously it didn’t last as Mac was fired following the Florida-Georgia game.

Now Enter Dan Mullen.

When Mullen was hired he walked off the plane with an emphatic Gator chomp and right then and there I knew things were going to change in a big way. Covering his introductory press conference is still my favorite non-game I have covered.

There was so much joy and positive energy from not only Mullen but also Scott Stricklen, members of the UAA and everyone else involved. I’ve never seen anything like it.

That spring we saw a new coach implement an entirely new program. I saw a change as well as I was hired to work for Gators Territory that March, and it is the best professional decision I have made so far.

Mullen hit the ground running and cultivated his team around playing to its strengths, having a positive attitude and grinding every day. Nick Savage has brought the physicality back to the program and we saw a complete transformation.

You tell me if it was for the better. The records speak for themselves.

Every time we have interacted with Mullen it has been positive. He exudes energy and excitement. There is no mistaking his joy to be a Gator and the head coach here. And while his skills within the X’s and O’s and the improved strength program have been major factors in his early success here I can’t help but believe the biggest factor was the mindset he brought with him from Starkville.

There is a new confidence and belief within the program, and it’s only year two. I believe Mullen is only getting started, and this team will find itself stirring up trouble in the near future.

Everything I have learned has prepared me for life after college, and I cannot thank Jacquie Francuili, Mark McLeod, Bob Redman, Corey Bender, Ryan Vasquez, Harrison Hove, Steve Russell, Forrest Smith, John Wright, Zach Abolverdi and Graham Hall enough for what they have done for me these past two years.

I’ve learned so much and can’t think of anything better than being able to cover the sports I grew up loving. I can sit here and tell you about how challenging everything within this field is, and it can be daunting at times, but there is no excuse to not have a positive mindset about it. I will take that among other things with me following graduation, and I guess I have Mullen and McElwain to thank for that.

I am forever Florida.