If you knew what 2 years into Mullen would be, would you have taken it?

[Sec14Gator]

Longcat warning.

From the outset, I've been against the Mullen hire and since then, his in-game management, recruiting, and loyalty to his guys as coaches has me still thinking he is less likely to win a championship here than he is actually going to win. I've also written on here that I'd wished we had taken a shot for a higher ceiling/lower floor guy in the last round (still think throwing similar money at Frost would be working out better now).

But, as I watched the scene after the Orange Bowl, and us celebrating at the end of a season again, likely in the top 6-7, I think I've changed my perspective on the decision, even if I still have concerns about us not having the giant season. Mostly, it was the imagery of the end of the game, my kids enjoying Gator football at the end of seasons, and me looking forward to the next season - opposed to hoping its not a disaster, or that it is enough of a disaster or us to change coaches. I've not been more down on Gator football as I was after UF-Michigan in 2017 to open the season, as I thought we had 2-3 more years of that fool.

Anyway, George Carlin had a funny bit about being fans to be happy and not wallowing in misery of our teams. These images of seasons endings past and QB recruits of the past provide a certain feeling. Compare that to the end of our last two seasons and QB recruits. For me, that imagery makes me happier as a Gator.

I don't think I've given up as a Gator fan to want championship or being "content" with 10 wins, but at one point I agreed with SoFla's thread about the end of Gator football as we knew it. Mullen may have changed that for the long term future.

How do these make you feel?

2011 -

Lost 7-21


2012 -

SKYLER
MORNHINWEG
DUAL-THREAT QUARTERBACK




2013 -

MAX
STAVER
PRO-STYLE QUARTERBACK
6'5''



2014 -

(Hope for a minute)

To be continued in next post . . .

 

[Sec14Gator]

2015 -


Loss 2-27


2016 -

Lost 13-31


2017 -

Lost 22-38, to cap a 4-7 season.

Final in next post.

 

[NavetG8r]

You aren't even done and my answer is still a resounding yes. While I'm not sold on Mullen long term yet, he's turned the program around with a quickness. He just needs to replace some dead weight on the staff and I think the future could be very bright.

 

[Sec14Gator]

2018 -

2019 -




2020 -

It just feels better now.

 

[BNAG8R]

 

[deuce]

I wasn't happy with the Mullen hire but looking back, I think he was the best fit at the time. Besides his goofy dancing and stubborn devotion to asking a very stationary QB to run the ball, I like him a lot.

 

[78]

Two years in, I’m still not sure. He’s revived the Gator brand to the point of respect. I think we would all prefer that be fear.

 

[Thick&ThinG8r]

I know home games are fun again.
I'll save any more praise than that until I ride out of Jax with a win and that's a hump he isn't any closer to getting over.

 

[78]

No one post. 2019 is coming.

 

[CGgater]

It appears DM has put embarrassing losses and seasons behind us. How close is he to his ceiling? IDK, but if he can improve the facilities and recruiting, I'm willing to give him more time.

As to the original question, YES. We were a dumpster fire 24 months ago that could be seen with satellite imagery, even if zoomed out to cover the western hemisphere... so 10 and 11 win seasons in the first 2 years are probably as much as any sane Gator fan could reasonably ask for.

 

[jdh5484]

Mullen has exceeded my expectations. I think, in retrospect, he was the best choice at the time.

As a fan, the games have been more enjoyable to watch since Trask came in. We'll see how next year plays out with a young WR corps.

He still needs to make special teams into a weapon (IMO... that's very low hanging fruit and a damn crime not to emphasize it ... BIG ROI while trying to rebuild a brand not requiring new facilities of 5 star recruits ).

He still needs to beat the leg humpers. (this is a show stopper for me.... find a damn way)

I don't like the defensive scheme or the DC or the Safety coach.

 

[Oscar the G]

I don't like the CB coach.

you are alone in that one.

 

[Gator By Marriage]

To answer the thread title, I give a resounding "Yes".
There's always a chance a high risk - high reward guy could have done better, but I doubt it. (And let's face it none us really know who that guy might have been - and I don't think more money would have changed Frost's mind; the siren call of going home was just to strong for him) @Sec14Gator 's montage clearly shows the depths to which we had fallen. Those were some embarrassing seasons (and embarrassing QBs for a school like UF) and if nothing else CDM has brought back respectability. I too fear he may never get us to the next level, but based on what I've seen so far, I'm willing to give him a few more years to try.

 

[dz_23]

I loved the hire at the time and still love it. National Championships are great, I wish we would win every year but unfortunately only 1 team does and expectations become unachievable quickly when you do.

If we would have got the first or second choice everyone “wanted” at the time, this board would probably not exist with the lack of interest in Gator football.

Go Gators

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Mullen has exceeded my expectations. I think, in retrospect, he was the best choice at the time.

As a fan, the games have been more enjoyable to watch since Trask came in. We'll see how next year plays out with a young WR corps.

He still needs to make special teams into a weapon (IMO... that's very low hanging fruit and a damn crime not to emphasize it ... BIG ROI while trying to rebuild a brand not requiring new facilities of 5 star recruits ).

He still needs to beat the leg humpers. (this is a show stopper for me.... find a damn way)

I don't like the defensive scheme or the DC or the CB coach.

I think you mean the Safeties coach, Ron English. The CB coach is Torrian Gray and he's been pretty good thus far.

 

[gatorev12]

Would I take it? Absolutely. 100% yes. We won 10 games last year and 11 this year; our wins were mostly comfortable (in that we were in control for long stretches), and our losses were competitive games where we had a chance to win.

Contrast that to the Muschump and Butters years when--regardless of whether we were 4-6 or 9-3--everyone knew we'd look like crap on offense (win or lose) and would get blown out against the better teams on our schedule.

Also: in many years of the Chump/Butters eras, we lost our starting QB for long stretches of the season. It *always* and without fail tanked those seasons. Mullen lost his starting QB and coached up a career backup to an eventual 11 win season with a pass-happy offense that goes against his preferred offense. THAT is coaching.

And I say the above as someone who wasn't really on-board with the Mullen hire to begin with and had my doubts how well he'd do here. There are still issues of concern (recruiting, facilities, and staff)...but he has more than earned our praise for the job he's done thus far and certainly has bought himself the time needed to fix the other stuff. He came in promising that FL football would be fun again...and he's largely delivered. The next step is competing for/winning championships and he knows it...so I'll let him do his thing.

Go Gators.

 

[jdh5484]

you are alone in that one.

I meant Safety coach.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

 

[Gator By Marriage]

Would I take it? Absolutely. 100% yes. We won 10 games last year and 11 this year; our wins were mostly comfortable (in that we were in control for long stretches), and our losses were competitive games where we had a chance to win.

Not sure i agree if you mean both 2019 and 2018. I know we were ahead of Ugly at one point in 2018, but it never really felt like we were going to win and we never had a chance in the Mizzou game.

 

[Marine1]

Hated the hire but the answer to the question is: absolutely!

it’s a matter of balancing goals against expectations. Our goal should always be to win the SEC. I’m not sure there were very many whose expectation was we would win one the first 2 years.

So we met and even exceeded expectations.

I think the next 2 years is where our expectations need to match our goals.