CBS: Florida Gators' Dan Mullen the No. 8 Head Coach in Power Five

Mullen is the only coach in the top ten without a conference championship under his belt.
CBS: Florida Gators' Dan Mullen the No. 8 Head Coach in Power Five
CBS: Florida Gators' Dan Mullen the No. 8 Head Coach in Power Five /

CBS Sports believes that SEC Championships are just around the corner for Dan Mullen's Florida Gators.

The college football staff at CBS compiled their rankings of the 65 Power Five head coaches entering the 2020 season: A "highly subjective exercise based on what each voter believes makes a great coach - winning record, recruiting chops, up-and-coming talent - leading to a wide range of results on some." 

After cracking the No. 10 spot following his first season in charge, Mullen has received a bump up to No. 8. Below is what analyst Tom Fornelli offered in explanation:

If you look at the coaches in our top 10, there's one glaring difference between Mullen and the others. He's the only one yet to win a conference title as a head coach. So why is he ranked this high? Well, the short answer is that, if he had been able to win a conference title at Mississippi State, he would already be in the top five. What he did accomplish with the Bulldogs was impressive with or without the trophies, and now that he's coaching the Gators, he's in a position where he's better equipped to get them. Mullen has quickly restored Florida as a threat in the SEC East with 21 wins in his first two seasons. You can't help but feel that the conference title will come eventually. 2019 rank: 10 (+2)

Fornelli believes that Mullen has the resources at Florida to begin truly contending for the SEC crown, unlike what he had at Mississippi State. That elevates Mullen up the list, despite being the only top ten coach without a conference title.

Mullen still found success at his old stomping grounds, earning SEC Coach of the Year honors in 2014 after finishing 10-3, so it's fair to expect a continued upward trajectory as the talent he has recruited begins to take on full-time roles.

Of the top ten coaches on the list, five come from the SEC. Mullen comes in at No. 5, behind Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher (No. 7), Georgia's Kirby Smart (No. 6), LSU's Ed Orgeron (No. 4), and Alabama's Nick Saban (No. 1). In total, seven SEC coaches found themselves in the top 25.

Do you agree with Mullen's spot on the list?

Earlier on Wednesday, AllGators released a segment with Sports Illustrated Gambling on Florida's over-under for the 2020 season. You can find out more here.


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Zach Goodall
ZACH GOODALL

Zach Goodall is the publisher of AllGators.com on FanNation-Sports Illustrated, serving as a beat reporter covering football, recruiting, and occasionally other sports since 2019.  Before moving to Gainesville, Zach spent four years covering the Jacksonville Jaguars for SB Nation (2015-18) and Locked On Podcast Network (2017-19), originally launching his sports journalism career as a junior in high school. He also covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for FanNation-Sports Illustrated (2020-22). In addition to writing and reporting, Zach is a sports photographer and videographer who primarily shoots football and basketball games, practices and related events. When time permits in the 24/7 media realm, Zach enjoys road trips, concerts, golf and microbreweries.