Why Dan Mullen Would and Wouldn't Work as the Next UW Coach

A Southern destination might seem more likely for this man, but he's been out West before.

Almost no one felt bad when Florida fired Dan Mullen as its football coach.

It's not that people wished him any ill will, they just figured he'd get another job as soon as he wanted one.

Terminations in the SEC count as plusses on a resume.

The fact you got into the conference in the first place, had a chance to see all the sights and try all the food, and be hailed as the ultimate coaching whiz wherever you were, well, those are selling points.

After all, everyone with the exception of Nick Saban gets fired in the SEC. It happens after a season, at midseason, maybe even at halftime, depending how ruthless that little slice of Southern heaven football school wants to be.

Which brings us to this question posed by more than one serious-minded Washington follower over the weekend who was willing to overlook the fact this man just got furloughed:

Would Mullen consider the Huskies if they called him?

The immediate reaction is he's naturally a Southern football coach with Florida and Mississippi State running through his veins, so wouldn't he more likely go someplace geographically friendly?

LSU and Virginia Tech are looking for new leaders. Miami could be, too.

Wouldn't he be like a dolphin out of water if he came to our salmon-loving Northwest corner of the college football world?

Dan Mullen leads his Gators on to the field.  / USA TODAY Sports

Digging deep into his coaching resume, it should be noted that Mullen spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons at Utah as Urban Meyer's offensive coordinator, after first joining Meyer at Bowling Green and before following the sainted one to Florida. That qualifies as being out West.

Granted, that was seven years before the Utes joined what would become the Pac-12 but it meant he had to recruit and game-plan in the region for 24 months, long enough to get acquainted with the football landscape. 

And, as interim coach Bob Gregory said just this week while holding down the fort for his replacement, coaches are all just mercenaries, men with no ironclad borders or permanent addresses, willing to pick up and go. 

So the answer would be yes, Mullen could end up at Washington should he and the school make a connection.

The plan is athletic director Jen Cohen wants to have a new coach on board in early December to salvage recruiting. This could narrow the field to a guy already out of work such as Mullen or Tom Herman.

Let's review Mullen's coaching record. Like him or not, he's got impressive numbers.

At Florida, he went 10-3, 11-2, 8-4 and 5-6, and earned trips to the Peach, Orange and Cotton bowls, plus the SEC championship game just last season before he got fired. It's a lot like missing one question on your SAT test and not getting in to the school of your choice. 

Dan Mullen coached four seasons at Florida after nine at Mississippi St / USA TODAY Sports

Previously at Mississippi State, Mullen registered seasons of 5-6, 9-4, 7-6, 8-5, 7-6, 10-3, 9-4, 6-7 and 8-4, which included an Orange Bowl. In 2014, he beat eighth-ranked LSU 34-29, sixth-ranked Texas A&M 48-31 and second-ranked Auburn 38-23 all in one glorious season. He had those sassy Bulldogs ranked No. 1 at one point.

As for that Southern influence supposedly dictating his next coaching move, Mullen actually grew up in the New England area, as part of the so-called "New Hampshire Mafia," which included him and fellow coaches Gary Crowton and Chip Kelly. Crowton, of course, was the BYU leader and successor to the great LaVell Edwards while Kelly had an impressive stint at Oregon before going to the NFL and back to UCLA.

Mullen seems overdue to get his own high-paying West Coast coaching experience. Washington and USC, two jobs with enough resources to tempt and land a big-name coach, are out there. 

And best of all, there's not a wild gator, probably his least favorite reptile now, within 2,000 miles of Seattle. 

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