Another Day, Another Jab from Dan Mullen Towards Gators

Dan Mullen has taken multiple shots at both Florida and the city of Gainesville since his firing in 2021.

Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen is now in his first season with UNLV. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Dan Mullen, the former head coach of the Florida Gators, was never afraid to express his opinions. Now, he takes another veiled jab at his former employer.

While hiring and firing are a part of any job, coaches seem never to forget. Regardless of what happens after their termination, they hold a residual resentment. Occasionally, it surfaces in various moments.

After taking shots at both Florida's lack of facilities when he was there and the city of Gainesville as a whole, Mullen recently took a shot at the resources he was given by UF.

Commonality

This week, Florida fired Billy Napier. Four years earlier, the administration showed Mullen the door. Now, with the media flooding the airwaves and social media with headlines discussing who the Gators' next coach will be and lauding the importance of the job, the former coach spoke up. Yahoo Sports senior writer Dan Wolken was in Mullen's UNLV office at the time.

"Are they going to give the next guy a lot more than they gave him, as far as resources? Me, right?" he said. "I mean, like, everything was ‘No.’ And everything I asked for, they said, ‘Here you go’ to the next person.”

Florida fired head coach Billy Napier on Sunday. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Resources

When Florida fired Mullen, he boasted a 34-15 record, with two bowl wins in three appearances. UF lagged behind resources at the time, but not that far behind. Additionally, this was pre-NIL and large buyouts. Schools add facilities when they can allocate the money, not necessarily at the coach's whim.

Napier left UF in pristine condition for his replacement, which had better weight rooms, food updates, and other accouterments. Plus, you cannot compare the two eras. Players did not have any voice in their career path. Now, they can voice their displeasure with a portal jump to the best situation.

Legitimate Issue?

Apart from the pointed tone of Mullen's comments, validity exists. Schools like Florida underwent full renovations. However, Mullen forgets how large the alumni and donor bases are. As a result, Napier improved the support staff, compensating them according to the size and profile of the UF schools.

Will the next head coach build upon that?

Does the next one need to, if many consider the Gators staff the standard to aspire to? Mullen forgets that the Gary Condron Family Indoor Practice Facility was completed before hiring. The university started slowly. Since 2015, the school has completed nine facility improvements/builds totaling $300 million, not just for football.

Florida opened the James W. "Bill" Heavener Football Training Center in 2022. | Alan Youngblood / USA TODAY NETWORK

Athletic Director Scott Stricklin detailed how Florida's upgraded facilities and infrastructure can help in its search for Napier's replacement.

"There's never been a time, as many financial resources and as much commitment has gone into making Gator football as good as it can be, whether it's elite facilities like the one standing in here now Heavener Training Complex, and strong NIL infrastructure, all the other comprehensive things we do to help our athletes, whether it's the Hawkins Center at Farrior Hall, from an academic standpoint, nutrition with the Condron Dining Center -- there's just so many things in place for this program to be successful at the highest level," he said.

Bottom Line

Florida fired Mullen, replacing him with Napier, who enjoyed a less successful tenure. Subsequently, the school fired Napier.

Mullen, a candidate for several jobs while coaching at UNLV, chose a time to speak out without directly mentioning the Gators. His quote conveys a saltiness regarding his Gainesville departure. In the big picture, Florida will hire who they believe will lead their football program.