The Florida Gators missed out on the chance to hire former Oregon and NFL coach Chip Kelly, as Kelly chose to go to UCLA instead.

Now, as rumors are swirling about UCF coach Scott Frost heading back to his alma mater at Nebraska, the Gators are apparently moving on.

According to Yahoo! Sports reporter Pete Thamel, the Gators are zeroing in on Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen and hope to have a decision by the end of Sunday:

Mullen served as a Gators’ assistant on coach Urban Meyer’s staff during the Tim Tebow days, so Mullen is familiar with Gainesville and has had success there in the past.

However, it has been reported that the talented Mississippi State coach is also drawing interest from Tennessee, so Mullen has a tough decision to make.

There are still rumors that USF coach Charlie Strong (another former Florida assistant) could get the job, but it seems likely the Gators will hire an offensive-minded coach like Mullen.

Will we have a new Florida coach by the end of the day? That remains to be seen, but things are heating up in Gainesville.