Dan Mullen fired at Florida
The coaching carousel is going to be crazy this year. What a fall from grace.
November 21st, 2021 at 5:55 PM ^
Kiffin has a lot of Spurrier in him. I could see this.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:45 PM ^
Agree reason to keep Harbaugh. If we can up recruiting a notch we can contend for CFP. I’m not interested in the coaching carousel.
November 21st, 2021 at 8:58 PM ^
We already contend. Going up a notch gets us there.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:46 PM ^
Napier or Kiffin has got to be the top of their list. I cannot believe how many big schools have job openings, and even more could open making practically a bidding war for some of the bigger names.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:48 PM ^
Getting smug remembering all the Florida fans over the last few years who told me Mullen was way better than Harbaugh
November 21st, 2021 at 2:00 PM ^
This could've EASILY been us too. I'm sure firing Don Brown was hard to do, but the whole staff change we made probably saved JH job. If we had 4 or 5 loses right now like so many people thought we would before the season started I'm sure we'd be looking for a new coach too.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:49 PM ^
Been there, done that.
November 21st, 2021 at 1:53 PM ^
Welp,
Now Jon Gruden has 2 options - LSU and UF.
Of all the openings, those 2 schools would likely be the only ones (given geographical demographics and $EC) to "rehabilitate" Gruden.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:31 PM ^
Would be REALLY easy to negative recruit against Gruden...
November 21st, 2021 at 2:01 PM ^
The thing with Harbaugh and OSU is that we need to
a) take it as seriously as they do
b) every game should be like a Hoke coached game against OSU
c) play them like MSU plays us without the dirty antics
You do those things you can eliminate the talent disparity which frankly i think is a bit overstated although they do have more depth which certainly counts.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:21 PM ^
Are you being sarcastic with this post? I really can't tell. Jim Harbaugh has been around the program and Bo when he was 7 years old as a ball boy. Played under Bo and knows exactly how important how the OSU game is. If you honestly don't think he takes it as seriously as osu does then you clearly have no clue about our coach
November 21st, 2021 at 2:35 PM ^
Let me amend the statement by saying it’s got to be permeated throughout the program. OSU’s entire program is not only very talented but they act like the Michigan game is their super bowl despite beating us for 15 of the last 16 years. You’re probably right that Harbaugh knows how important this game is but he’s got to coach the game and get the players to play like they did when Hoke was coach. Harbaugh is a much better big program coach than Hoke but Hoke was able to get the team up for OSU and consistently play them hard. I think this team is wired differently than past teams I think they won’t quit and they’ll keep coming. It will take all their fortitude and intensity to make next Saturday a game.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:05 PM ^
Just because he played in it doesnt mean he's good at preparing his team mentally as a head coach. We've seen worse teams with Hoke play OSU neck and neck. I hope we break through this year, I do, but there's no ignoring past results.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:15 PM ^
Are you being sarcastic or what? None of what you say means a thing if Harbs can't coach Michigan to a win over OSU. Harbaugh's best showing, an OT loss pales against Hoke's first season win over OSU. Denigrate it if you wish, many do, but even in the debacle that was 2014, Michigan played OSU tough throughout the entire game. Let's not also forget that the year before Gardner, on a broken foot, had the team one two point conversion away from beating the Buckeyes. No Harbaugh team has been able to say that. Not a single time did a Hoke coached Michigan team mail in a game against OSU, and nothing ever approached the travesties of 2018 and 2019.
November 21st, 2021 at 6:04 PM ^
We make fun of MSU, and even OSU, for us being their Super Bowl.
But I actually admire that. Your rival should be your Super Bowl.
That attitude has helped MSU beat us a number of times when we had a talent gap over them.
Conversely, we have not had that attitude about Ohio State and unsurprisingly we have not been able to overcome their talent gap.
So go ahead Michigan, play up the underdog lack-of-respect card. Cross out the O's in the street signs in Ann Arbor. Obsess about our rival a little bit.
Win a game we shouldn't win because we play out of our minds against our hated rival.
November 21st, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
Just for a little perspective with MSU's Super Bowl.
Beat Michigan 27 - 24 the following week Lost 7 - 49 Iowa.
Beat Michigan 37 - 33 the following week Lost 29 - 40 Purdue.
Tucker can sit back and brag about the win against his rival but it looks as though the program sold out for its prep against Michigan and doesn't have a lot left in the tank for the grind of B1G play.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:08 PM ^
Crazy how fast that happened.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:08 PM ^
With all these major jobs, I’d be shocked if Tucker stays.
November 21st, 2021 at 6:09 PM ^
He won't get this level of opportunity again soon.
He will always have a hard ceiling at MSU. But he can do what Saban did instead. Staying at MSU will lock him into limited upside results no matter how well he coaches.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:09 PM ^
It’s like he WANTED to be fired.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
???
But, if you get fired from your job, then you don't get pai... Oh... wait a minute. Now I get it!
November 21st, 2021 at 2:16 PM ^
I posted a comment in a morning thread that Missouri's victory over Florida yesterday was probably the final nail in Mullen's coffin, but I didn't expect it would be this soon.
Regardless, as a lifelong Mizzou fan I love the fact that a Tiger victory precipitated agony in Gainesville.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:44 PM ^
A life long regret is that I didn't go with my friends who attended the 2003 Mizzou upset of Nebraska... first win against NU in years (and before people realized the wheels were coming off NU...)
November 21st, 2021 at 2:47 PM ^
As a transplant in KC (OPKS) from Chicago since 96 - Don there is nothing worse then Mizzou local who comes out of thier caves like Bin Laden if Mizzou shows any sign of life. K-State is better in football the last 20 years and Mizzou beating KU in football when it mattered most but KU and Mangino heading to the Orange Bowl remains glorious schednfruede for the Jayhawk locals.
Die Mizzou Die -
November 21st, 2021 at 4:18 PM ^
Since my Missouri fandom is familial and not personal, I've actually always rooted for KU in football as long as they weren't playing Missouri or Michigan.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:51 PM ^
The curse of Mizzou:
SEC coaches fired immediately following losses to Mizzou:
— Dave Matter (@Dave_Matter) November 21, 2021
Dan Mullen, 2021
Derek Mason, 2020
Bret Bielema, 2017
Butch Jones, 2017
Derek Dooley (2012) & Joker Phillips (2012) were fired one week after losing to Missouri.
November 21st, 2021 at 4:20 PM ^
Wow that is an insane trend.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:34 PM ^
Should hire him as an Offensive analyst.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:41 PM ^
Wow. He was Hackett's Plan B. He will get a good gig again.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:54 PM ^
They were right in the playoff hunt last year until the thrown shoe...spiralled out of control since then. Nuts.
November 21st, 2021 at 2:57 PM ^
Coaching changes that worked great: Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Clemson (after a while), Notre Dame. Coaching changes that didn't so far: USC, LSU, Texas, Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina -- and just about everyone else.
So, who are the hot coaches to take these new positions at USC, LSU, Florida, Washington, TCU, and V Tech?
Mel Tucker, with one good year at MSU although beat by Purdue and obliterated by OSU, and a new contract as the 2nd highest-paid coach in college behind Saban?
James Franklin, whose team is 7-4 despite having lots of great talent?
Matt Campbell at 6-5?
Fickell, since his teams are pretty good in the AAC? They could get Frost -- he was great in the AAC.
Urban Meyer, once he finishes flaming out in the NFL?
I wouldn't be happy about it, because I want Harbaugh at Michigan, but it would be darkly hilarious for Harbaugh to be offered a lot of money by one of them. He could definitely make something great out of USC, for example.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:08 PM ^
Uh, Arkansas under Sam Pittman is way better than anything Bert put on the field. I would say South Carolina looks much better than Will Muschamp coached teams too.
November 21st, 2021 at 4:38 PM ^
Going from horrible to bad, or bad to mediocre, isn't the goal, though, and not what we are discussing here.
We're talking here about what coaches you get that move you into 10-win seasons and occasional trips to the CFP, not improving to 6-5.
November 21st, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^
Not even 10-win seasons (we're already doing that) but 11/12-win seasons.
November 21st, 2021 at 5:49 PM ^
I dont think it's realistic for Arkansas or South Carolina to shoot for the playoff considering in nearly 30 years neither has ever even won the SEC.
November 21st, 2021 at 7:05 PM ^
Me: "Category A, examples of coaching changes were team is top tier after: Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, Notre Dame."
Me: "Category B, everyone else."
You: "But Arkansas changed coaches and went from 2-10 to 7-6 or 8-5!"
Me: "OK, but that doesn't put them in category A."
You: "But Arkansas wasn't good for a long time! It's unrealistic for them to jump into category A!"
Me: "Uh . . . yes, not in category A."
November 21st, 2021 at 7:18 PM ^
Okay, but most of the teams on your list I would say with the right coach could be playoff caliber, South Carolina and Arkansas are not some of those programs.
November 22nd, 2021 at 1:25 AM ^
I don't know. The Cincinnati Bearcats are supposedly playoff caliber this year. University of Central Florida was supposedly playoff caliber some years back. People were talking about Indiana being playoff caliber last year. Arkansas and South Carolina recruiting rankings are typically way above those places.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:27 PM ^
Reasonable list b618, with some caveats/additions:
- Texas, Texas, Texas - 3 short-tenured coaches since Mack Brown
- Nebraska, Nebraska, Nebraska, Nebraska, Nebraska - 5 coaches since Osborne, none successful ENOUGH for fan base. Solich and Pelini probably don't look so bad to them now.
- Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami, Miami - They've churned through 6 coaches since Butch Davis. Coker, Shannon, Golden, Scott (maybe just an interim), Richt, Diaz. Fired Coker who had an .800 record. Yeah, the "keep bringing in guys til we find the right one" strategy is working great.
Just three examples - almost all the failures you mentioned are multiple failures. USC, FSU, Tennessee, SC are all a mess. Churning coaches is NOT a good strategy.
OTOH, some of your success stories:
- Kelly's first 7 seasons: Had 4-8 disaster, lost 5 three other times. Won 10 or more twice. Had major scandal. THEN hit stride, with pretty consistent success.
- As you mentioned, Dabo didn't win big until his 8th season. Was infamous for "Clemsoning" in big games. THEN hit stride, with consistent success.
It's so simple - fire a coach only when you have to. Give a good coach time to become great. Accept some losses along the way. SUPPORT a good coach.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:38 PM ^
It is much easier to get me to accept your thesis when Harbaugh is sitting on 10-1 than it was last year...
Ask again on Saturday at 4 p.m.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:47 PM ^
Let's say we do lose. Then we're 10-2 and going to the Rose Bowl. Should we fire him for that?
November 21st, 2021 at 4:24 PM ^
Then you clearly don't accept my thesis - and that's cool.
My thesis is 100% opposed to knee-jerk reactions to individual games. "Win next week or you're fired" = recipe for chaos and disaster.
November 21st, 2021 at 9:38 PM ^
Also, Tennessee as a former blueblood that goes through a shitty coach every 2-3 years. No one even mentions them anymore because we forgot they used to be good.
Keep playing coach roulette, Vols. Next one's definitely gonna hit!
November 21st, 2021 at 3:02 PM ^
Does Jim hire him to coach WR now?
November 21st, 2021 at 6:08 PM ^
Only if he humps sharks with pictures to prove it.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:07 PM ^
Florida probably should have fired Mullen last week when they celebrated like they had won the national championship after beating Samford 70-56.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:36 PM ^
Possible Dan Campbell replacement?
November 21st, 2021 at 3:44 PM ^
The insane coaching carousel this year is an underappreciated reason to be very happy Harbaugh successfully turned things around this year. Regardless of how the season ends, Harbaugh's salary for next year is going to look like an absolute bargain for "10 wins in a power conference" compared to some of the names getting tossed around for top 5 money.
Hell, Mel Tucker is going to make $10 million + taking some team to 7 wins next year, and I highly doubt that's going to look like the worst choice.
November 21st, 2021 at 3:55 PM ^
This is just a stupid move, the guy finished in the top 12 each of his first 3 years and after on bad season he is fired. Good luck finding a better coach especially competing with LSU and USC for coaches.
November 21st, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
Yes, if I was Florida I would not want to be coach-shopping this year. I would do the Harbaugh-contract thing that all the college programs are learning to do now.