LSU fired Ed Orgeron less than two years after winning a national championship, but even Coach O's downfall might not be as rapid or as stunning as Dan Mullen's at Florida.
Mullen's team reached the 2020 SEC championship game against top-ranked Alabama, racking up 46 points, 462 yards and some genuine respect from the eventual national champions. On Sept. 18, the Gators again challenged the Tide, who escaped The Swamp with a 31-29 win.
Although Mullen entered the 2020 season still searching for his first SEC title at Florida, he owned an East Division championship, three New Year's Six bowl appearances, two AP top-10 finishes and three top-15 finishes in Gainesville. He might not have been Florida's first choice when hired after the 2017 season, but he certainly had fared better than Chip Kelly (UCLA) or Scott Frost (Nebraska).
Behind the scenes, though, there were concerns about Mullen and Florida's trajectory. His interest in moving to the NFL wasn't much of a secret in coaching circles. His disinterest in recruiting, meanwhile, seemed to be more glaring and impactful to the Gators' roster.
Florida hasn't been the same team since the SEC title game, and after five losses in seven games, including a 24-23 overtime defeat at Missouri on Saturday, Mullen is out as Gators coach. The team's flaws in both scheme and personnel quickly became too much for Mullen to fix.
There are now three Tier 1 jobs open in a wild coaching carousel, as Florida joins LSU and USC. Florida's objective for its search is clear: It needs an A-list recruiter who embraces every element of the process, especially in a talent-rich state. Florida must hire a coach who is both willing and able to compete on the trail with Georgia's Kirby Smart, Alabama's Nick Saban and the top coaches who dive into recruiting rather than back away.
Florida has location, history and a soon-to-be-completed $85 million football facility. Athletic director Scott Stricklin is well respected, although he's feeling some heat for recent failures in the program. The school likely will have a short list for Mullen's replacement and should prioritize recruiting ability as well as player development. Here are the candidates who could fit the bill:
Oregon coach Mario Cristobal
Arguably no realistic Florida candidate brings a better combination of insatiable recruiting and in-state ties than Cristobal. Few head coaches not named Saban or Smart push recruiting like Cristobal, who has built excellent rosters at Oregon and had the Ducks in the CFP mix until Saturday night's loss to Utah. Cristobal, 51, grew up in Miami, played at the U, spent three years as a Hurricanes assistant and then six as Florida International's head coach. Florida would need to pay a hefty buyout ($9 million), but Cristobal might be worth it. He would quickly elevate Florida's talent level and establish the program as the state's ultimate recruiting heavyweight.
Louisiana coach Billy Napier
He has been on the Power 5 radar for several years, and a jump to the SEC has long seemed to make the most sense. Florida is the type of job that should tempt Napier to leave a very comfortable spot. Napier understands the region from his time at Clemson and Alabama, as well as growing up in Georgia with a dad who coached high school football. He has a background on offense and would bring a sparkling head-coaching record (38-12) to Gainesville. Napier, 42, worked under Jim McElwain at Colorado State in 2012 before McElwain went to Florida, so he would have a good grasp of the pros and cons that the Florida job offers.
Bob Stoops
It would take a special situation for Stoops to return to the sideline, but Florida absolutely qualifies. Stoops, 61, built his reputation as Florida's defensive coordinator under Steve Spurrier from 1996 to 1998. The state doesn't have a college coach with Stoops' track record or recognizability. Stoops, now working as a Fox analyst, also understands the importance of fun offense to Florida's fans and has had dynamic offensive coordinators (Mike Leach, Kevin Sumlin, Josh Heupel, Lincoln Riley) throughout his career at Oklahoma. Florida would be foolish not to gauge his interest.
Penn State coach James Franklin
The question for Florida and any of Franklin's potential suitors, USC included, is whether Penn State's recent struggles take the luster off his candidacy. Two years ago, Florida would be pursuing a coach with three top-10 finishes and a Big Ten title in the previous four seasons. But Penn State went 4-5 in 2020, and sits at 7-4 and outside of the Big Ten race right now. Franklin, 49, checks many other boxes, especially as a strong recruiter who went 24-15 at Vanderbilt and knows Florida and the SEC footprint very well. He seems ready for a move and likely would jump at the chance to coach the Gators.
Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien
O'Brien, 52, will be a head coach again soon. The question is whether he gets another shot in the NFL or remains in college, where he had success in a brief stint at Penn State. His name has surfaced on the fringes of the LSU search, and he brings the offense/quarterback background that Florida typically prefers. His NFL experience is also a selling point. Whether O'Brien provides the recruiting boost Florida needs after Mullen is a fair concern, but he'll likely gain at least a look.
Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell
He's on the short list for every major vacancy this year, as his stock couldn't be much higher after positioning Cincinnati for a potential playoff run. Fickell, 48, is an excellent recruiter who has spent some time scouring the Southeast at Ohio State and now Cincinnati. He also would stabilize Florida's defense, which has regressed the past few years. Fickell ultimately wants to target a job closer to his home state of Ohio, but Florida offers a lot of appeal, especially in recruiting.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops
He's already in the SEC East and has won two of his past four games against Florida, after Kentucky failed to beat the Gators in 31 consecutive games. Stoops also knows the state well after assistant coaching stints at both Miami (2001 to 2003) and Florida State (2010 to 2012). He soon will lead Kentucky to its sixth consecutive bowl appearance. Although the Wildcats have fallen off since their first 6-0 start since 1950, Stoops' overall profile makes him an intriguing candidate for Stricklin and the Gators. Florida typically leans toward offensive-minded coaches, so Stoops, 54, would need to present a strong plan for quarterback development and scoring points.
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin
He hasn't won like Spurrier but might be the closest thing to the former Florida coach in terms of entertaining offense, quarterback development and incredible quotes. Kiffin, 46, revived his head-coaching career in the state at Florida Atlantic and is now at Ole Miss, where he's 9-2 in his second season. He has extensive SEC experience as the head coach of two programs (Ole Miss, Tennessee) and offensive coordinator under Saban at Alabama. Would Stricklin hire Kiffin? Some in the industry have their doubts, but the offense-recruiting combination is appealing.
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker
Three NFL stops and three SEC stops have made Tucker understand the value of elite personnel. After a tough first season at Michigan State, he dramatically changed the roster through the transfer portal and also developed some of the talent he inherited. The advantage with Tucker is he knows what he would walk into at Florida. He has worked for both Saban and Smart, and should be able to re-establish Florida as more of an in-state recruiting power. Tucker's background on defense and lack of head-coaching experience (three years) might give Florida some unease. Reports also surfaced in the Detroit Free Press prior to Michigan State getting blown out by Ohio State that the Spartans were preparing a big-money extension for Tucker.
Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn
The accelerated recruiting calendar makes it difficult for colleges to hire NFL assistants, but if Florida really wanted Quinn, perhaps it could wait. Quinn, 51, spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons at Florida under coach Will Muschamp, and might be open to a premier college head-coaching job where he has some familiarity. The former Atlanta Falcons coach is on his second NFL coordinator stint and could be in line for a head job in the pros if the Cowboys continue to win.