The Gators pulled off a coup this offseason as Dan Mullen worked quickly to replace former tight end’s coach Larry Scott, who landed the head coaching position at Howard during the coaching carousel, and lured arguably the nation’s best tight ends coach to Gainesville.

Veteran assistant coach Tim Brewster left Mack Brown’s North Carolina staff to once again join forces with Mullen, the two coaches previously worked together at Mississippi State, and coach Kyle Pitts and Florida’s tight ends in 2020.

A longtime assistant of Brown’s, the decision could not have been an easy one for Brewster to make, but the opportunity to compete for an SEC and potentially a national title in a state he knows very well likely was the difference for the veteran tight ends coach.

During his first media availability of the spring, Mullen was asked to comment on Brewster’s hire at Florida. The way Mullen tells it, not only was Brewster the best candidate to coach tight ends, he was the perfect fit for the staff down in Gainesville.

“Brew is a guy I’ve had on staff before, worked with before, he’s got a great personality, great passion for the game,” Mullen commented. “Obviously, he’s an excellent tight ends coach. It’s kinda funny when he was with me before, I had him coaching the receivers when we brought him in, so it’s great having him at his most comfortable position.

“But a wealth of knowledge and experience as a position coach, great personality that I already knew about… It’s a great fit with the staff, I think that’s something that’s critical of how a guy fits in to the personality of the staff and he’s a great recruiter for us, too. If you are around Brew and see his attitude he’s always got high energy, always excited and that’s the type of guy I like to have around. He’s not only a great football coach on the field, a dynamic recruiter, but also a great personality within our staff.”

Mullen was asked a follow-up in regards to Brewster’s ability to recruit, what makes Florida’s newest assistant such a hit on the recruiting trail?

“If you ever talk to him, his personality, you know what I mean? He can talk, he comes into a room with his personality — he’s one of those. He takes over the room,” Mullen answered. “I don’t think he’s walked into a room and not left with more friends than he walked into.

“In recruiting, that certainly helps that kind of personality that he has.”

If you aren’t familiar with Brewster’s resume, it’s very impressive. The assistant has a strong history as an elite recruiter for the likes of UNC, Texas A&M, Florida State and Texas and has multiple years of experience coaching in the NFL. During his college coaching career, 11 of his tight ends have moved on to the NFL.

During his one season at Texas A&M, Brewster helped develop junior college signee Jace Sternberger into an All-American. At Florida State, Brewster coach two-time Mackey Award finalist Nick O’Leary and All-American honors. Brewster also coached Antonio Gates with the San Diego Chargers.