Earlier Sunday, the Florida Gators hired Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen.

Florida is hoping Mullen can rekindle the offensive magic that left the program when Urban Meyer left. Mullen brings a strong pedigree of coaching and developing quarterbacks, and that’s a huge priority for Florida.

Gators AD Scott Stricklin wrote a letter to Florida fans Sunday, saying Mullen checks all the boxes and much more.

In the end, I strongly believe Dan is the most prepared candidate to have immediate and long-term success at the University of Florida. Coach Mullen is one of the best offensive minds in all of college football, and has an unbelievable track record in tutoring successful quarterbacks (such as Alex Smith, Chris Leak, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott and Nick Fitzgerald.)

Stricklin also wrote it was personally a challenging hire, because he pulled Mullen away from his alma mater, Mississippi State.

On a personal level, this was a challenging situation because I’m proud of the job Dan did at MSU, my alma mater. However, as the Gators’ Athletic Director, my sole responsibility is to make decisions that are best for the University of Florida, and that is why Dan Mullen is our new head football coach.

Mullen’s first task will be keeping the highly-ranked recruiting class together.

You can read Stricklin’s full letter here.