Could Dan Mullen really make the jump to the NFL? | Yahoo Sports College Podcast
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Pete Thamel, and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss a report that Florida head coach Dan Mullen is looking to jump to the NFL.
Video Transcript
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DAN WETZEL: Dan Mullen at Florida. Now Dan Mullen I don't think has done anything wrong here, he's just, people are throwing him out there, could he go to the NFL. There's a lot of Florida fans that are like, wait, wait, what? You know, like, you're not, you didn't finish your job here. They haven't won the SEC title, they haven't won an NCAA title. Pete, what do you think on Mullen's future? How big is this pro interest and what should he do?
PETE THAMEL: Well, I think it's pretty clear that Dan Mullen has NFL interest. What is not as clear, is if the NFL has interest in Dan Mullen. Part of the realities of modern college football are starting to get to some of these guys. Just the name image and likeness stuff, the roster management, one-time transfer. College football coaching is going to get a lot harder. And on paper, Dan Mullen really fits the archetype of what NFL owners are looking for. He's a developer of quarterbacks. All right?
This is my theory on the NFL. There are 32 teams, eight of them have quarterbacks, maybe nine, 10. The rest of them don't and are looking for them. Those eight teams contend for the Super Bowl. Everybody else is just sort of like, you know, pillow fighting their way to 7 and 9 or 8 and 8 or whatever. So a team developer of quarterbacks and play-callers should be attractive. And if you look at Alex Smith, if you look at Dak Prescott, if you look at how Kyle Trask came along, Dan Mullen is as good in the college game as we've seen in the last two decades at developing quarterbacks.
The problem with Dan Mullen in the NFL right now, is nobody has hurt Dan Mullen's chances to go to the NFL more than Dan Mullen. He just, he just has acted immaturely this season in numerous times. There's no other way to say it. That is going to scare billionaire owners if you are going to become the face of their franchise.
PAT FORDE: Yeah. It was a weird report that started with Adam Schefter where he said that he hopes to go to the NFL. And hope is kind of a soft word to pin a story on. But Schefter also is as plugged in as anybody, so if he hopes it, then that means Mullen's people are putting the word out there that yes, he would like to go. He got 'em to win the SEC East, which they hadn't done in a few years. They got, they pounded Georgia. Great win right there. That makes everybody very happy when you win the East.
But the number of embarrassments that occurred this year, almost all of which were tied directly to Dan Mullen, also left him yes, as Pete would say, I think to damaged goods to a degree in the eyes of anybody who may want to hire you. You know, pack the swamp, because you're mad, because you thought there were too many fans in College Station. Inciting a brawl at halftime against Missouri. Getting COVID yourself after basically almost scoffing at the virus.
And then you go to a Bowl game, a high level Bowl game against a quality opponent, and yes, a lot of your players that opted out, but you just get trucked by Oklahoma. And that's the last time anybody saw you, is losing 55 to 20 or whatever it was. And I think they people are looking, saying, that guy? He wants us to pay him like $7 million to become an NFL coach? Maybe not. Let's see if Dan Mullen can rebound and do a little better next year just in terms of how you handle yourself. It's just his emotions have seemed to have gotten the better of him and his judgment at times.
PETE THAMEL: He was.
DAN WETZEL: I definitely didn't see the Dan Mullen kind of heel turn, if you will.
PAT FORDE: Right.
DAN WETZEL: I don't know what you want to call it.
PETE THAMEL: He's kind of a benign guy.
DAN WETZEL: I didn't see that one coming.
PETE THAMEL: Like, I don't think everyone had like strong Dan Mullen opinions either way. He's good coach. Kind of stayed below the fray, did a good job. Like I, you know, I'm sure everyone's had their moments. I'm sure Ole Miss fans don't like him or whatever from--
PAT FORDE: Ole Miss fans hate him. Yeah, they hate him.
PETE THAMEL: Of course they're going to hate him. Yeah.
PAT FORDE: Yeah. He beat them a lot.