How Mullen changed MSU football

[lagator]

Yeah there is a reason people keep saying it...it's true. They Meyer departure was not good for the program but a good hire could have saved it...we made a bad hire and it got worse but a good hire could save it...we made an even worse hire who was worse in recruiting than the previous bad coach and now we are in a real bind. It may not be an unprecedented mess but it's an unprecedented mess for UF since 89. Zook was a bad coach but it was salvaged...now with 2 awful hires it's not just the roster but the brand of UF football has been damaged.

Where was OK's "brand" when they were 5-6, 101st offense when they hired Stoops? Talking about "Brand" is simply an excuse. Mullen's being paid to recruit and win period. Everything else is excuses and bullsh*t. But he should be happy to see this place is fully on board the excuse train.

Ox, you might as well merge this place with swampgas. I honestly can't detect much difference anymore. "Mullen's the greatest hire since sliced bread, but that doesn't mean we actually expect him to win or compete for championships. That's not reasonable after our Brand got a booboo."

 

[oxrageous]

Where was OK's "brand" when they were 5-6, 101st offense when they hired Stoops? Talking about "Brand" is simply an excuse. Mullen's being paid to recruit and win period. Everything else is excuses and bullsh*t. But he should be happy to see this place is fully on board the excuse train.

Ox, you might as well merge this place with swampgas. I honestly can't detect much difference anymore. "Mullen's the greatest hire since slice bread, but that doesn't mean we actually expect him to win or compete for championships. That's not reasonable after our Brand got a booboo."

I think you’re underestimating how bad the fan base is beaten down. We haven’t just been losers, we’ve been a national laughingstock on the field for 7 years. Right or wrong, the mentality has been changed and the bar has been lowered. If you insist on blaming someone, blame Foley.

I agree that a good coach should be able to make an immediate impact. I personally expect to see a night and day difference next season, with a team that actually looks like it has an offensive identity. If we can get a damn QB, we could absolutely make some serious noise in the next two years.

 

[lagator]

I think you’re underestimating how bad the fan base is beaten down. We haven’t just been losers, we’ve been a national laughingstock on the field for 7 years. Right or wrong, the mentality has been changed and the bar has been lowered. If you insist on blaming someone, blame Foley.

I agree that a good coach should be able to make an immediate impact. I personally expect to see a night and day difference next season, with a team that actually looks like it has an offensive identity. If we can get a damn QB, we could absolutely make some serious noise in the next two years.

It has sucked for quite some time "and yet" a doofus had us in the SECCG 2 years in a row for crying out loud with two of the worst offenses in Gator history. That alone should be enough to give folks hope. Yeah, UGA is better, but LSU is probably worse under their current coach. The rest of the SEC East is the same crap so it's not like we shouldn't expect to compete against that trash.

I'm not saying run the guy out of town if we aren't in the SECCG year 2, but just like you, everyone should expect to see an actual offense next year. That's why I think it is reasonable to expect to know if this was the right hire pretty quickly based on recruiting and offensive production. Not that it will matter because no way Mullen gets less than 4 years even if he fails miserably.

I do keep thinking back to that feeling almost all of us had when Mullen was announced as the new coach. There is some truth in the idea that your first gut instinct is often correct. Hopefully we were just over-reacting to the loss to UCLA for Kelly.

 

[oxrageous]

I felt sick and probably looked sick. I was in a near-catatonic state for two hours.

 

[Chomper]

It will be interesting to see who remains on his current job longer: Kelly at UCLA or Mullin at UF. Anyone want to venture a guess?

 

[Slevin]

Progress. Progress. Progress. Show signs that what you talk about and what you’re about show up on the field. You don’t have to pull a spurrier or Meyer and win the sec right away. Just have the team compete against the absolute best and recruit well, and the players will take over. Get everyone in position to be great.

Quiverlips and Doog Dumpsterfire couldn’t coach out of a paper bag littered with bullet holes. I think dan has what it takes to take the program around the corner and it starts with S&C and a new mentality to work hard


Remember how Mac put every bit of responsibility in the hands of the players? What a garbage ass piece of shyt. It makes me want to hunt him down like road kill just typing about him. Anyways, accountability is with the coaches and it seems like Dan gets that. Force them to work hard and the ones that don’t fall in line can leave

 

[CGgater]

People said the same thing when Urban had his breakdown and Chump was hired, then they said the same thing when Chump got fired and we hired Butters, and now same people making same excuses when Mullen is hired. It's loser speak.

There is no unprecedented mess. We are having very little attrition to graduation and the NFL, have a solid core at almost every position. Our biggest loses are kickers and we just got a verbal from the second best place kicker in the country.

PSU, Ole Miss, those were/are unprecedented messes. This should be a smooth rebuild with a couple good recruiting classes, getting a QB that fits and installing a functional offense.

Do you mind listing the solid core of players you believe can help us win immediately? Our underperforming OL and undersized DL & LBs are enough to require patience unless our new S&C coach can work miracles this offseason (with no help from GNC, please).

 

[Albert]

We just fired the guy who made two of them. He better get us there, not sure what your definition of "anytime soon" is but words are meaningless. Results and record are the only thing that matters and if he doesn't get us to the SECCG (which will require beating our biggest rival) he's going to be looking for another job within a few years.

Let's be clear about this: I and most here do expect UF to contend and win championships. Period. It remains to be seen if Mullen can pull it off. It also remains to be seen if he can't (a point you seem to have already conceded). All I am saying is that we won't look like a bitch, you know, kinda like when you post and stuff.

 

[lagator]

Do you mind listing the solid core of players you believe can help us win immediately? Our underperforming OL and undersized DL & LBs are enough to require patience unless our new S&C coach can work miracles this offseason (with no help from GNC, please).

I guess you missed the part about a couple of recruiting classes? I honestly don't care too much about our record next year as long as we see real offensive improvement. The schedule is pretty favorable so 7-9 wins should be realistic, but again offense is more important than wins next year.

I know you've seen this chart so no point in listing the names. Itraz especially, but also Donkey, Threat, and several others discuss personnel in this thread. Those guys have forgotten more about X's and O's and how to evaluate player talent than I'll ever know so I defer to them generally, but I see talent on this chart.

https://gatorchatter.com/threads/updated-2018-scholarship-chart.18302/

I would say we don't have a functional QB on this table to run Mullen's offense so that's going to be the number one need of this class. And sorry but I don't believe Carrol is coming. We need to replace Eddy which it sounds like Mullen has already done.

We have numbers for defensive players to run the 3-4. I honestly think the front 7 could be a strength next year with moving some bodies around and another year of S&C, but we'll wait and see. And I believe we have a shot at some impact JUCO's so that could help on both lines.

The O-line has been a concern every year for a long while, and despite that we've managed to win double digit wins under both chump and butters with similar bad lines, and we at least have more bodies now, but that will change quickly if we don't bring in the numbers every year. But I think guys like Ivey and Tyler Jordan can benefit in Mullen's offense and if you are relying on quickness over shear slow brute strength with a lot of shifts and pulling it's possible to have Freshman come in used to playing in a spread offense and contribute. Just like every year, we need to sign 3-4 O linemen and O-line recruiting can make or break a coach so this has to be a priority every year.

Basically it's the coaches job to figure this stuff out and find a way to bring in the bodies we need, but a lot of coaches have seen dramatic program turn arounds in a couple of years so I don't believe we are so far behind that it's unreasonable for us to expect the same.

 

[ThreatMatrix]

"Everything was charted and everybody was held accountable. The team would have about eight captains, each responsible for a group of 10-12 players, and if any guy in the group messed up (i.e. missed a class, was late to a workout, etc.) the whole unit took on the consequences."
I got a woody reading that.

"Stricklin shared with him his vision for the new standalone football complex that will one day significantly enhance the Gators’ amenities and meeting space for players and coaches.“He said ‘That would be great. What you’ve got is good enough, but that would be great to make it better,'” Stricklin says."
I wonder if we're back to the drawing board with the stand alone.

 

[lagator]

Let's be clear about this: I and most here do expect UF to contend and win championships. Period. It remains to be seen if Mullen can pull it off. It also remains to be seen if he can't (a point you seem to have already conceded). All I am saying is that we won't look like a *****, you know, kinda like when you post and stuff.

Personal attacks always weaken an argument just so you know.

I haven't concede at all that Mullen can't pull it off. I'm just not willing to accept that we shouldn't expect him to live up to what he has already stated is his intent, to compete for and win championships, and it doesn't take half a decade to get a program there.

Am I convinced he can do it? No, but it's certainly possible. Like I have said, after a couple of recruiting classes and by the end of the 2019 season I think we will have a very good idea about whether this was a good hire or not.

 

[Albert]

Personal attacks always weaken an argument just so you know.
?

True, but that was my only reply to you on this thread and it wasn't an argument. It was a statement of fact. Learn the difference when you see it.

Btw, who posted it would take half a decade to figure out if Mullen would succeed?

 

[lagator]

True, but that was my only reply to you on this thread and it wasn't an argument. It was a statement of fact. Learn the difference when you see it.

Btw, who posted it would take half a decade to figure out if Mullen would succeed?

Again, personal attacks are a sign of a weak mind whether you want to call it an argument or a statement. A statement of fact? Sound like you don't understand the difference between opinion and fact. Start here:

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is an expression of a person's feelings that cannot be proven. Opinions can be based on facts or emotions and sometimes they are meant to deliberately mislead others.

You stated your opinion that I've conceded Mullen can't pull it off. Where did I say that?

And I've seen posts saying it will take 6-7 years for Mullen to compete for championships. If you're so interested who made this statement you can search for it.

 

[Albert]

Again, personal attacks are a sign of a weak mind whether you want to call it an argument or a statement. A statement of fact? Sound like you don't understand the difference between opinion and fact. Start here:

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is an expression of a person's feelings that cannot be proven. Opinions can be based on facts or emotions and sometimes they are meant to deliberately mislead others.

You stated your opinion that I've conceded Mullen can't pull it off. Where did I say that?

And I've seen posts saying it will take 6-7 years for Mullen to compete for championships. If you're so interested who made this statement you can search for it.

So you are changing from argument to opinion. Got it.

 

[CGgater]

I guess you missed the part about a couple of recruiting classes? I honestly don't care too much about our record next year as long as we see real offensive improvement. The schedule is pretty favorable so 7-9 wins should be realistic, but again offense is more important than wins next year.

I know you've seen this chart so no point in listing the names. Itraz especially, but also Donkey, Threat, and several others discuss personnel in this thread. Those guys have forgotten more about X's and O's and how to evaluate player talent than I'll ever know so I defer to them generally, but I see talent on this chart.

https://gatorchatter.com/threads/updated-2018-scholarship-chart.18302/

I would say we don't have a functional QB on this table to run Mullen's offense so that's going to be the number one need of this class. And sorry but I don't believe Carrol is coming. We need to replace Eddy which it sounds like Mullen has already done.

We have numbers for defensive players to run the 3-4. I honestly think the front 7 could be a strength next year with moving some bodies around and another year of S&C, but we'll wait and see. And I believe we have a shot at some impact JUCO's so that could help on both lines.

The O-line has been a concern every year for a long while, and despite that we've managed to win double digit wins under both chump and butters with similar bad lines, and we at least have more bodies now, but that will change quickly if we don't bring in the numbers every year. But I think guys like Ivey and Tyler Jordan can benefit in Mullen's offense and if you are relying on quickness over shear slow brute strength with a lot of shifts and pulling it's possible to have Freshman come in used to playing in a spread offense and contribute. Just like every year, we need to sign 3-4 O linemen and O-line recruiting can make or break a coach so this has to be a priority every year.

Basically it's the coaches job to figure this stuff out and find a way to bring in the bodies we need, but a lot of coaches have seen dramatic program turn arounds in a couple of years so I don't believe we are so far behind that it's unreasonable for us to expect the same.

I didn’t miss that, but until you made some additional posts, I wasn’t sure how much patience to recruit/rebuild was “loser speak.”** I guess you’re setting the bar at 2-3 years? My point is you seem to be making very broad comments about what it takes to right the ship without acknowledging the amount of time or work involved to successfully accomplish the task.

BTW - it would’ve been a shorter post if you simply listed the solid core you mentioned.

** ”Loser speak” could be considered a “personal attack.” Glass houses, bruh...

 

[-THE DUDE-]

I didn’t miss that, but until you made some additional posts, I wasn’t sure how much patience to recruit/rebuild was “loser speak.”** I guess you’re setting the bar at 2-3 years? My point is you seem to be making very broad comments about what it takes to right the ship without acknowledging the amount of time or work involved to successfully accomplish the task.

BTW - it would’ve been a shorter post if you simply listed the solid core you mentioned.

** ”Loser speak” could be considered a “personal attack.” Glass houses, bruh...

I would like to know what our solid core is right now. We don't have a QB. We have 1 game breaking RB that just tore up his knee. We have 1 game breaking WR that has a knack for big plays and nothing else so far and 1 WR that seems to be able to make plays but can't stay healthy for more than 2-3 plays a game. Our OL is a HUGE weak spot. DL we just lost our best player, but have some solid players. LB required us to play a walk on and the rest are undersized 2-3* players. CB is young and talented and Safety is a major concern still. Plus that chart still lists a bunch of players that we have no idea if they will ever be let back on the team. If we have a solid core i would love to know what that is

 

[lagator]

I didn’t miss that, but until you made some additional posts, I wasn’t sure how much patience to recruit/rebuild was “loser speak.”** I guess you’re setting the bar at 2-3 years? My point is you seem to be making very broad comments about what it takes to right the ship without acknowledging the amount of time or work involved to successfully accomplish the task.

BTW - it would’ve been a shorter post if you simply listed the solid core you mentioned.

** ”Loser speak” could be considered a “personal attack.” Glass houses, bruh...

Good point. I was in a crappy mood yesterday and can be an a-hole at times, just ask my wife. But at least I have the self-awareness to recognize it unlike most of the a-holes I meet.

 

[CGgater]

Good point. I was in a crappy mood yesterday and can be an a-hole at times, just ask my wife. But at least I have the self-awareness to recognize it unlike most of the a-holes I meet.

It is a rare day that I see an admission like this. It seems like 99% of people on social media won’t admit they’re wrong about anything. Ever.

Dilly dilly, fellow Gator!