Florida has fired coach Dan Mullen a day after his sixth loss in nine games. The move comes two months after the Gators went toe to toe with defending national champion Alabama and a year after they had a chance to make the College Football Playoff.
Mullen’s stunning downfall ends a tumultuous two seasons that included mounting losses, numerous public relation missteps, NCAA sanctions and a debacle against lower-division Samford. His final game was a 24-23 loss in overtime at Missouri.
Athletic director Scott Stricklin wanted to give Mullen every chance to turn things around, but it became clear Mullen was losing the support of top administrators, key boosters and even the most loyal fans. The Gators will pay Mullen a $12 million buyout.
