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UF's Mullen To Take Mississippi State Job

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By MICK ELLIOTT

melliott@tampatrib.com

Published: December 11, 2008

GAINESVILLE - The Florida Gators paid the inevitable price of success Wednesday when offensive coordinator Dan Mullen - one of several of Urban Meyer's assistants being mentioned for vacant jobs - was lured away by the head coaching job at Mississippi State.

He will be introduced today in Starkville, home of the Mississippi State campus.

Mullen has been an assistant coach for 14 years, spending the last nine working with Meyer at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida.

"Dan has done an outstanding job during the nine years we've been together," Meyer said. "He is a tremendous coach who also does a great job of developing players. He has a pretty impressive resume, and we wish him the best of luck."

It has not been determined if Mullen will remain with the Gators through their Jan. 8 national championship game against Oklahoma, or commit immediately to recruiting and hiring his staff.

"I'm not sure right now whether he will coach in the bowl game or not, but we are going to evaluate it and do whatever gives us the best chance to win the game," Meyer said.

Mullen will be moving from the SEC champion to one of the league's perennial cellar-dwellers. He will be replacing Sylvester Croom, who resigned last month after going 21-38 in five seasons as the SEC's first black football coach. Since 2001, the Bulldogs have had only one winning season.

Meyer acknowledged Monday night that Mississippi State had made contact with Mullen, but he was not aware of a face-to-face visit. Bulldogs athletic director Greg Byrne had voiced his desire to bring excitement to his football program and struck fast.

At Florida, Mullen carried the title of offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He worked directly with quarterback Tim Tebow and called the plays that produced a Heisman Trophy winner who could win the award for the second time Saturday and an offense that scored an average of 45 points per game. He also helped develop quarterback Alex Smith into a No. 1 pick in the NFL draft as the quarterbacks coach at Utah.

2 Bulls Named To All-Big East Team

TAMPA - University of South Florida linebacker Tyrone McKenzie and defensive end George Selvie were named to the coaches All-Big East first-team defense, the league announced Wednesday.

McKenzie was among six unanimous selections on the team. Selvie, last year's Defensive Player of the Year, was one of seven players to repeat on the first team.

USF offensive linemen Marc Dile and Matt Huners, tight end Cedric Hill and safety Carlton Williams were named to the All-Big East second team.

For the second consecutive year, Cincinnati's Brian Kelly was named Coach of the Year.

UConn running back Donald Brown (Offensive Player of the Year), Pittsburgh linebacker Scott McKillop (Defensive Player of the Year), Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard (Special Teams Player of the Year) and Louisville running back Victor Anderson (Rookie of the Year) captured the league's other individual honors.

Brett McMurphy

UCF: The family of a Central Florida football player who collapsed during training says he is "fully recovered."

Brandon Davis' family released a statement through Florida Hospital East, where the freshman is hospitalized.

Davis became dehydrated during a weightlifting session and was hospitalized with kidney failure.

His family says he's "fully recovered" without any permanent damage.

The Associated Press

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