The luminaries spilled from Scott Stricklin’s home onto his pool deck on a heat Friday night in September 2021. Gainesville buzzed with pleasure on the eve of Florida’s top-10 conflict with Alabama, and UF’s athletic director organized a gathering at his home to have fun the second. Steve Spurrier attended. So did the SEC Community’s Tim Tebow and Laura Rutledge and others from the nationwide media.
Days earlier than the sport, Sports activities Illustrated revealed an in-depth story celebrating Stricklin’s rent of Dan Mullen “that remade Florida soccer,” because the journal put it.
I admit, I used to be a believer.
That Saturday, The Swamp roared as loudly as I’ve ever witnessed it. The Gators pushed Alabama to the brink however misplaced 31-29. Every week later, Florida punished Tennessee.
Florida and Mullen seemed to be blossoming.
Two months later, Stricklin fired Mullen after a loss to Missouri, his sixth SEC lack of that season.
Teaching tenures can spiral shortly within the SEC.
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Florida employed Mullen earlier than the 2018 season as a part of a blockbuster offseason within the SEC. Tennessee additionally pursued Mullen throughout that teaching carousel. In complete, six SEC coaches have been employed that offseason. Each single one has been fired.
Jimbo Fisher lasted longest. Texas A&M fired him in November.
Right here’s how I view these six fired SEC coaches who have been employed earlier than the 2018 season:
The coach I’d rent once more
Dan Mullen
Florida’s fan base soured on Mullen whereas the 2021 season imploded. Mullen’s picture developed from quirky mastermind to goofy Dan. Recruiting momentum stalled. I understood why Florida fired Mullen. And but, I now ponder whether Florida would have been higher off sticking with him. I respect Mullen’s offensive acumen, and I feel he may’ve positioned UF as interesting switch vacation spot. His 103-61 profession report, all of which got here throughout the SEC, confirmed he can coach. And I don’t suppose he’s as poor of a recruiter because the narrative turned in ’21. Mullen, 51, enjoys an excellent gig at ESPN. He appears content material, however on the proper faculty, I nonetheless suppose he may excel.
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The coach I’d rent as an assistant
Jeremy Pruitt
Tennessee by no means ought to have employed Pruitt. This proved a traditional case of the Peter Precept. He was by no means CEO materials, and his regime’s sloppy recruiting operation trampled on NCAA guidelines. Losers who cheat do not final. Pruitt deserved to be fired for trigger. The NCAA piled on a six-year show-cause penalty. His goose is cooked. If solely he’d remained a defensive coordinator, a job he excelled at from Florida State to Georgia to Alabama, he may’ve had a protracted SEC profession. If not for the show-cause penalty, I’d nonetheless take Pruitt as a defensive aide. Alabama hasn’t been as fierce since Pruitt departed Nick Saban’s employees for Tennessee. Anyway, his NCAA misdeeds appear petty on this NIL period.
The coach I’d rent as an interim
Matt Luke
An interim job matches Luke. You may belief he will not name escorts. He stepped right into a sticky state of affairs at Ole Miss after Hugh Freeze’s 2017 resignation and delivered a 6-6 season. Ole Miss mistakenly thought that proved Luke was as much as the full-time job. Below regular circumstances, he most likely by no means would’ve been thought-about, however Ole Miss didn’t get pleasure from regular circumstances in that second. The Luke period fizzled. On the intense aspect, he purchased Ole Miss a few years earlier than it was positioned to rent Lane Kiffin. Luke is a certified offensive line coach. He is now in that function for Clemson. And, you would do worse when you wanted an interim than cool-hand Luke. Simply don’t make it everlasting.
I barely bear in mind ol’ what’s-his-name
Joe Moorhead
Jeff or Joe? Whereas scripting this, I needed to search for Moorhead’s identify. That’s how transient his tenure was. Moorhead appeared like a pleasant sufficient man once I met him briefly on the SEC spring conferences in Florida. You recognize what they are saying about good guys, robust. Moorhead lacked any SEC expertise and was an uncommon alternative for State. Credit score Moorhead for his quotability, although. “You’ll have to pull my Yankee ass out of right here,” he stated after beating Ole Miss in 2019. Nice line from ol’ what’s-his-name. State didn’t drag Moorhead out. It simply paid his buyout.
I nonetheless don’t know what they have been considering
Chad Morris
Morris had a 14-22 report in three seasons at SMU when Arkansas employed him. Significantly, what have been the Razorbacks considering, hiring this coach with no SEC expertise? This stays one of many all-time worst hires. Morris didn’t beat a single Energy 5 opponent in two seasons calling the Hogs. Previously a profitable highschool coach, Morris may a minimum of recruit a bit. His 2019 signing class included KJ Jefferson and Treylon Burks. They laid the groundwork for Arkansas going 9-4 in 2021, two years after Morris’ firing.
I’d solid him for an look in ‘Yellowstone’
Jimbo Fisher
Fisher appeared the half at Texas A&M. Cowboy boots and ranch life fits him. Perhaps, that helps clarify how he bamboozled the Aggies so successfully, for therefore lengthy. As one mediocre Aggies season light into the following, it lastly turned evident that Fisher’s peak was lengthy gone. Jameis Winston made Fisher, not the opposite means round. Nonetheless, Fisher constructed such a convincing picture as a blue-collar rancher that I feel he’d match properly into an episode of Kevin Costner’s hit present “Yellowstone.” Image this: Quick-talking Fisher strikes into the bunk home and friends as much as the ranch fingers earlier than carrying out his welcome and turning on Costner, calling him a narcissistic false god. Episode ends with Rip taking Fisher to the “practice station.”
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Community’s SEC Columnist. E mail him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and observe him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
When you get pleasure from Blake’s protection, contemplate a digital subscription that may permit you entry to all of it. Additionally, try his podcast, SEC Soccer Unfiltered, or entry unique columns through the SEC Unfiltered publication.
This text initially appeared on The Gainesville Solar: SEC soccer: My plans for Dan Mullen, Jeremy Pruitt, Jimbo Fisher