Report: Dan Mullen was leaning toward taking Tennessee job until Florida swooped in
As things continue to spiral out of control at Tennessee, the Florida Gators now have their new coach in place — former Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen.
Mullen, who served as Florida’s offensive coordinator during the Urban Meyer era, drew plenty of interest from other schools, including Tennessee, but ultimately decided to return to Gainesville.
However, if it wasn’t for the Gators swooping in at the last minute and offering Mullen the job, the Mississippi State coach likely would have ended up in Knoxville, according to former Mississippi State QB and current radio host Matt Wyatt:
FACT: Mullen was going to take the Tennessee job if #Gators didn’t come calling late. Wasn’t returning to #HailState in ‘18. Needed the next challenge. Vols moved to Schiano when Mullen moved on to #Gators.
— Matt Wyatt (@RadioWyatt) November 27, 2017
This obviously won’t go over well in Knoxville, especially after Tennessee fans rioted following the announcement that the school was hiring Ohio State DC Greg Schiano.
That deal has since fallen through due to backlash, but it’s safe to say there will be quite a bit of tension when the Gators and Vols face off next year.