How hard is it to evaluate potential head coaches? Ask UF.

[GarnetBeamer]

They are the prime example of how difficult it can be to evaluate potential head coaches. Four of the their last 5 head coaches have eventually flopped...Zook, Muschamp, McElwain and now Mullen. They are one of the few programs in the country who should be able to have their pick of the litter. Even they keep striking out. Zook lasted less than 3. Muschamp less than 4. McElwain less than 3. Mullen is likely to be canned after 4.

 

[coolcock2001]

They are the prime example of how difficult it can be to evaluate potential head coaches. Four of the their last 5 head coaches have eventually flopped...Zook, Muschamp, McElwain and now Mullen. They are one of the few programs in the country who should be able to have their pick of the litter. Even they keep striking out. Zook lasted less than 3. Muschamp less than 4. McElwain less than 3. Mullen is likely to be canned after 4.

And think about their most recent search, where they missed on their top 2 candidates (Scott Frost and Chip Kelly) before landing on Mullen. Both of them have underwhelmed as well

 

[_NOVA_]

Zook and Muschamp were terrible hires.

McElwain and Mullen moreso clashed with the administration and boosters as much as failed on the field of play. Now, you could argue that’s part of their job to get along with the admin and stroke the egos of boosters, but McElwain and Mullen aren’t downright bad head coaches. McElwain could have been successful with more time and more support. And UF would be really stupid to fire Mullen at this point.

 

[USMCatFan]

Muschamp was a terrible hire for Florida?

You guys sure that you want to be leaning in on that particular hire so hard?

 

[GarnetBeamer]

Muschamp was a terrible hire for Florida?

You guys sure that you want to be leaning in on that particular hire so hard?

In hindsight, obviously. At the time of the hire, it was considered a home run.

 

[GarnetBeamer]

Zook and Muschamp were terrible hires.

McElwain and Mullen moreso clashed with the administration and boosters as much as failed on the field of play. Now, you could argue that’s part of their job to get along with the admin and stroke the egos of boosters, but McElwain and Mullen aren’t downright bad head coaches. McElwain could have been successful with more time and more support. And UF would be really stupid to fire Mullen at this point.

I dunno. He's obviously lost the team and they are not recruiting anywhere near the level where they should be.

 

[lakemurraycock1]

Muschamp was a terrible hire for Florida?

You guys sure that you want to be leaning in on that particular hire so hard?

Absolutely! Most here were shocked we picked him after he failed at Florida. At least at Florida he had not sucked as a head coach yet.

 

[GarnetBeamer]

Absolutely! Most here were shocked we picked him after he failed at Florida. At least at Florida he had not sucked as a head coach yet.

The question was whether he was a bad hire for UF, not here. Obviously he was already a failed head coach before coming here. At the time of the UF hire, though, he was widely considered one of, if not the, top head coach prospect in college football.

 

[biting curve]

And UF would be really stupid to fire Mullen at this point.

I don't think Mullen's head and heart is in it. IMHO I think he knows he's lost the locker room.

When you have to fire an assistant who's been with you for 20 years, it's the end of the road.

He's making strange comments...he didn't know the band was there, even though he'd walked right by it...claimed 20 or 30 guys were out with flu...then got pissed at a recruiting question and snapped at a reporter.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see him goad the administration and big money boosters into firing him. He flirted a bit with the NFL last year, that left a bad taste in some people's mouths.

Possibly some huge openings this year...before it's all said and done you're looking at LSU, maybe Nebraska, Miami, FSU, Fla, SoCal, VT, and more...going to be a lot of programs looking to hire.

 

[DrMickey]

You know, Muschamp was everyone’s hot name when was hired by Florida. No surprise they took him.

And Mullen was a golden coordinator for UF national championships. And he had done well elsewhere as a head coach. Both of those choices were highly regarded. Sometimes it just doesn’t work.

 

[Carolina Doc]

Just underscores how difficult it is to pick a successful coach. And its not only Florida, it happens to other programs as well. A number of the legacy programs aren't immune. Its lightening in a bottle. Beamer might not work out, but I'm glad we decided to try something different for a change.

 

[_NOVA_]

Muschamp was a terrible hire for Florida?

You guys sure that you want to be leaning in on that particular hire so hard?

Muschamp didn’t want the UF job. He wanted the Texas job. Guy was way more prepared and connected to recruit Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, etc. UF was his back-up plan to Texas and probably Auburn. I don’t think for one second he thought of UF as a terminal job for him and it showed.

 

[GarnetBeamer]

Just underscores how difficult it is to pick a successful coach. And its not only Florida, it happens to other programs as well. A number of the legacy programs aren't immune. Its lightening in a bottle. Beamer might not work out, but I'm glad we decided to try something different for a change.

Yes. The list of "can't miss" candidates who missed is exceedingly long.

 

[DeBoer31]

They are the prime example of how difficult it can be to evaluate potential head coaches. Four of the their last 5 head coaches have eventually flopped...Zook, Muschamp, McElwain and now Mullen. They are one of the few programs in the country who should be able to have their pick of the litter. Even they keep striking out. Zook lasted less than 3. Muschamp less than 4. McElwain less than 3. Mullen is likely to be canned after 4.

This is lunacy. Mullen was a home run hire for UF, and if they fire him this year or next they are the dumbest hiring group in college football.
Have you seen Mississippi States program from 91 to present?
Jackie Sherrill....a really fine (some say great) coach. He went 74-76 there.
Sylvester Croom..21-38
Joe Morehead 18-19 and Leach is 9-11.
That's a 46% win percentage for those guys from 91 to present. A lot of guys who know a lot of football, had different philosophies, perspectives, systems, etc.

Mullen went 69-46 there...60% win percentage and built it from absolute ashes as poor Croom just didn't have the goods to deal with or get that group where they needed to be. That is winning 50% of your SEC games in the West during 09-17...right in the middle of Alabama's resurgence and also during LSU's run with Les Miles. He literally made that program relevant again.

At UF he's won 70% of his games. There is no question he is one of the top HCs in collegiate football today.

 

[GarnetBeamer]

Muschamp didn’t want the UF job. He wanted the Texas job. Guy was way more prepared and connected to recruit Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, etc. UF was his back-up plan to Texas and probably Auburn. I don’t think for one second he thought of UF as a terminal job for him and it showed.

Hard to say. He'd spent his entire playing and coaching career in the southeast prior to his 3-year stint at Texas.

 

[GarnetBeamer]

This is lunacy. Mullen was a home run hire for UF, and if they fire him this year or next they are the dumbest hiring group in college football.
Have you seen Mississippi States program from 91 to present?
Jackie Sherrill....a really fine (some say great) coach. He went 74-76 there.
Sylvester Croom..21-38
Joe Morehead 18-19 and Leach is 9-11.
That's a 46% win percentage for those guys from 91 to present. A lot of guys who know a lot of football, had different philosophies, perspectives, systems, etc.

Mullen went 69-46 there...60% win percentage and built it from absolute ashes as poor Croom just didn't have the goods to deal with or get that group where they needed to be. That is winning 50% of your SEC games in the West during 09-17...right in the middle of Alabama's resurgence and also during LSU's run with Les Miles. He literally made that program relevant again.

At UF he's won 70% of his games. There is no question he is one of the top HCs in collegiate football today.

Some programs just have a higher level of expectation. The whole thing just doesn't look good for him right now UF losing 3 games in a row (with two of those losses being to UK and USC) is never gonna bode well. On top of that you have his comment about not recruiting during the season. The icing on the cake is that the players have seemingly mailed it in. They're on pace for one of their worst recruiting classes in a while. UF should default to a top 10 class every year, without even trying.

 

[CtownNat1ve]

Some programs just have a higher level of expectation. The whole thing just doesn't look good for him right now UF losing 3 games in a row (with two of those losses being to UK and USC) is never gonna bode well. On top of that you have his comment about not recruiting during the season. The icing on the cake is that the players have seemingly mailed it in. They're on pace for one of their worst recruiting classes in a while. UF should default to a top 10 class every year, without even trying.

Not to mention 12-9 between this year and last. Not the expectations that school has.

 

[GarnetBeamer]

Not to mention 12-9 between this year and last. Not the expectations that school has.

Nope. For better or worse, they don't give guys 5 years or more to sort things out.

 

[myrtlecock]

Yep. You can add Florida State, Michigan unless they get lucky with Harbaugh, Miami, and a whole bunch of other perennial powers to that list.

That's part of the reason I've been such a voice of descent to all these posters here calling for our brand new coaches head, half a season into his first year.

The level of hubris it must take to think you could do a better job picking a coach than all these ADs and boards of directors we just referred to, who are being paid millions and millions of dollars plus their blood, sweat, and tears, from years of devotion to their universities trying do a good job and make the right choice.

The lack of humility is astounding.

 

[uscg1984]

Absolutely! Most here were shocked we picked him after he failed at Florida. At least at Florida he had not sucked as a head coach yet.

I think you just proved his point.

When Florida hired Muschamp, he was a successful coordinator and had been named head-coach-in-waiting at Texas. There was no reason to think he would bust at Florida.

 

[johncockroach]

I really wanted mullen when we hired muschamp, I thought we could’ve pulled him from miss state. I don’t know if he’s really culture changer/program builder, but when he has a good qb his offenses are really hard to stop. He does need to be managed though by ad though. Just a quick comparison to Beamer, hearing how giddy Shane was at halftime and after the game, you really can’t help but like the guy and pull for him. The constant positivity, etc., it’s kind of refreshing and I think parents will like sending their kids into his program and care. However, when it comes to X’s and O’s, Mullen is really far ahead.

 

[vidaliagamecock]

You know, Muschamp was everyone’s hot name when was hired by Florida. No surprise they took him.

And Mullen was a golden coordinator for UF national championships. And he had done well elsewhere as a head coach. Both of those choices were highly regarded. Sometimes it just doesn’t work.

I think it is always a risk taking a coordinator or person who hasn't been a head coach. Florida is a unique program. Expectations are always high. I also think the perception is that recruiting is easy. While Florida is talent-rich, recruiting is far more national now. Look at the number of California recruits playing out of state. Every program raids Florida for recruits. The headcoach of Florida has to sell the school and frankly facilities at Florida are actually behind considering. Right now recruiting is everything, even on a place where you are surrounded by SEC level talent. Florida is a great job, but unlike the Spurrier era you can't rest on recruiting because recruits will go anywhere.

 

[NorthJerseyGator]

I think it is always a risk taking a coordinator or person who hasn't been a head coach. Florida is a unique program. Expectations are always high. I also think the perception is that recruiting is easy. While Florida is talent-rich, recruiting is far more national now. Look at the number of California recruits playing out of state. Every program raids Florida for recruits. The headcoach of Florida has to sell the school and frankly facilities at Florida are actually behind considering. Right now recruiting is everything, even on a place where you are surrounded by SEC level talent. Florida is a great job, but unlike the Spurrier era you can't rest on recruiting because recruits will go anywhere.

Spurrier didn't even recruit at Florida, lol, he slept in, played some golf, popped a top or two, and then headed over for afternoon practice, haha. We haven't been getting top offensive recruits out of Florida for over a decade.....Clemson got CJ Spiller from down the road from Gainesville back then and continued to get more top Florida offense recruits than the Gators since then. I thought when Bowman transferred from Clemson to UF last year that finally we were going to stop that Dabo smiling, goofy schtick crap, lol, but no, we still suck at recruiting Florida. Bama and Clemson have taken the 5 stars from us for over a decade and the rest of SEC and country has grabbed the 4 stars too.

 

[TheReelEss]

They'll be crazy to not at least take a shot at Kiffin. Mind you, I know nothing of his contract or buyout. But he's perfect for UF.

 

[TheReelEss]

Some programs just have a higher level of expectation. The whole thing just doesn't look good for him right now UF losing 3 games in a row (with two of those losses being to UK and USC) is never gonna bode well. On top of that you have his comment about not recruiting during the season. The icing on the cake is that the players have seemingly mailed it in. They're on pace for one of their worst recruiting classes in a while. UF should default to a top 10 class every year, without even trying.

Consistently finishing with a winning record can get you fired at some schools. It can get you an extension at others. It's all about the level of expectation.

 

[lakemurraycock1]

I think you just proved his point.

When Florida hired Muschamp, he was a successful coordinator and had been named head-coach-in-waiting at Texas. There was no reason to think he would bust at Florida.

Well I agree with his (the OP) point so that's good. My comment was in response to the USmcat poster that I quoted questioning if we wanted to include muschamp since we hired him. Picking a great coach is difficult. Especially at a place like Florida where the time is short to show that you are the guy. Muschamp did not show what he needed to stay there. Plus his offense sucks. Mullen will not last unless he turns recruiting around asap

 

[USC ANDERSON]

I still say its a crap shoot when you hire a college football coach. There are so many variables. Just take a look at Tommy Bowden and Rich Rod. They were undefeated at Tulane (of all places) and continued their run for a short time at Clemmens. Things went downhill for Bowden when Rich left for WVU, his alma mater. Big $$$ and prestige lured him to Michigan but it did not work. Rich also failed at either Arizona or Arizona State and now is an assistant to another Bowden (I think) at a small Louisiana school. Crap shoot.

 

[CockySC01]

Florida has higher expectations then SC as an overall program. We hired the guy they fired. Noway Florida would do something like that.
It seemed like just about everyone thought the Muschamp hire from Florida was a bad idea. Well, everyone except for our BOT and Ray Tanner.

 

[garnet_reign]

They are the prime example of how difficult it can be to evaluate potential head coaches. Four of the their last 5 head coaches have eventually flopped...Zook, Muschamp, McElwain and now Mullen. They are one of the few programs in the country who should be able to have their pick of the litter. Even they keep striking out. Zook lasted less than 3. Muschamp less than 4. McElwain less than 3. Mullen is likely to be canned after 4.

Mullen hasn't flopped at UF yet. The guy can coach, not sure what's going on down there right now, but that's kinda where my issue is with your post. I wouldn't judge a whole lot on what happens to a coach at UF, outside of downright obvious bad coaching, etc. I've always heard that there's a lot of meddling that goes on down there. Mullen looks like a guy who's about fed up with something. Hard to put a finger on, but he looks and acts like a guy who's just said "ahhh F it!"

 

[Flameout12]

This is lunacy. Mullen was a home run hire for UF, and if they fire him this year or next they are the dumbest hiring group in college football.

Yup....of the 4 coaches in the OP....only Mullen was proven. His "demise" is mysterious, and may be a casualty of the pandemic era.

 

[uscg1984]

Mullen hasn't flopped at UF yet. The guy can coach, not sure what's going on down there right now, but that's kinda where my issue is with your post. I wouldn't judge a whole lot on what happens to a coach at UF, outside of downright obvious bad coaching, etc. I've always heard that there's a lot of meddling that goes on down there. Mullen looks like a guy who's about fed up with something. Hard to put a finger on, but he looks and acts like a guy who's just said "ahhh F it!"

I agree. He looks like maybe he's burned out with college football.

The conventional wisdom, with which I agree, is that your best chance of hiring a winner is to hire a guy who has been a winner somewhere else. But I think maybe the skillset that builds a program like Mississippi State into a 7, 8, and 9 game winner each year may be different than the skillset required to return a program like Florida's to the ranks of the elites.

 

[USMCatFan]

Mullen hasn't flopped at UF yet. The guy can coach, not sure what's going on down there right now, but that's kinda where my issue is with your post. I wouldn't judge a whole lot on what happens to a coach at UF, outside of downright obvious bad coaching, etc. I've always heard that there's a lot of meddling that goes on down there. Mullen looks like a guy who's about fed up with something. Hard to put a finger on, but he looks and acts like a guy who's just said "ahhh F it!"

I'm not sure if he's fed up with something or his "Smartest Man in the Room" personae is just really wearing thin with everyone in Gainesville. I mean Spurrier has already proven that UF is perfectly happy to employ and put up with horse's ass behavior as long as you win...a lot.

But, the UF fan base started going after Mullen dating back to when Mullen bullied the female writer at the post game presser after the UK game this year. It was pointed out on the UF boards that if you go 2 - 2 vs UK in football, maybe being a little contrite wouldn't be out of line.

Arrogance gets written off as "Confidence" if you're winning. If you're losing it just comes off as petty or otherwise bad behavior.