You’re hired at a football program to do three things: win games, develop student-athletes and bring positive attention on the team.
We can argue all night to what degree Mullen has accomplished the first two. What should concern the UAA and Tigert Hall is the kind attention he’s brought on the program this season from all his off-the-hip comments, beginning with the untimely call to fill the Swamp as the second Covid wave was ramping up and now this, an embarrassing school-boy response to an ugly bowl loss that has the national media eating his lunch and his own players wondering whose back he has.
Naturally, fans think Mullen’s buffered by three winning seasons and a cozy relationship with the AD, and maybe he is to a certain degree. But the missile-lipped nature of this season’s comments has to have caused a raised eyebrow or three from various higher ups at UF not to mention prominent boosters who probably aren’t taking kindly to the head football coach talking trash on public airwaves without the on-the-field results to back up the false bravado.
I’m by no means predicting Mullen’s imminent ouster. He’s brought a certain buzz back to the offense at a program that’s always coveted scoring fireworks. I’m simply having a hard time imagining him not being asked at some point, if not already, to rein it in or risk damage he can’t undo on the playing field.