My positives on the Dan Mullen hire:
(1) Mullen worked with Stricklin at Mississippi State. We already know our head coach and the AD can work together.
(2) While not an alum, Mullen was at UF for four years. He knows UF culture.He knows Gainesville. He's a Gator.
(3) Mullen was with Urban Meyer at UF, and though he left before Meyer did, he could see the mistakes Meyer was making in letting the program get out of hand and become a "broken program". Because Mullen knows this history he is in a position to take steps to avoid it in the future.
(4) Mullen has head coaching experience at a major football program. He will not have to learn on the job.
(5) Mullen has 9 years experience as a head coach at an SEC program. Invaluable. He knows the competition -- Saban, Malzahn, and Smart. He knows that in the SEC football is a religion not a Saturday afternoon past-time. "It means more."
(6) Mullen ran a pretty much scandal free program in Starkville. Administration will be proud.
(7) Mullen is an articulate speaker, knows how to meet the public, is something of a politician. To survive as a Yankee in Mississippi you have to be personable and Mullen did that and was that. He can shake your hand, look you in the eye, slap you on the back. He will do well on the Gator Club circuit.
(8) Mullen is in physical shape. He is not low energy. He ran the Boston Marathon a few years ago. Being in physical shape gives coaches confidence and players respect this.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/...-dan-mullen-he-runs-boston-marathon/83180274/
(9) Mullen is confident yet humble. He was not "too good" to go to Starkville, Mississippi. I could not imagine Chip Kelly living in Starkville. You can't be a snob and thrive in Mississippi. Sometimes the job makes the man. In this case the man made the job.
(10) Mullen was here during the Urban Meyer championships. He knows what it takes to win championships.