Florida’s first half defensive performance today against Samford was a reflection, in some part, on what happens when you fire coordinators six days before a game and elevate someone who has never been a coordinator. This is why head coaches, even when they quietly know what’s coming soon, try to hold off on coordinator firings until a more rational transition period. Sometimes, however, a midseason firing is unavoidable to appease the media and a vocal fan base. A persistent vortex of negativity damages recruiting and sometimes the evidence of commitment to change can't wait. When coordinator firings do happen mid season, some period of chaos shouldn’t be surprising. Florida will really need to stabilize the defense quickly to be ready for next week’s game AT Missouri.

Despite the Gators' righting the ship today, after an ugly first twenty five minutes and going on a 42 - 10 run over the final thirty five minutes, the drum beats got louder from the “Fire Mullen” cannibals. For some, his departure is a foregone conclusion and their negativity has spiraled into concerns over what the coaching staff wears, whether the players sing the alma mater, Mullen’s dismissive treatment of the media, and an array of other peripheral issues. Clearly, there is trouble in paradise and something needs to be done to fix the ineptitude that has defined Florida’s last 5 games. The question, really, is whether Mullen is afforded a reasonable opportunity to fix things himself and, if so, how much time he gets.. Firing two coaches last week didn’t immediately solve the problems. Some believe Mullen needs to win both remaining games to make it to next season.

I understand we now live in an “immediate results” society where persistence through adversity and delayed gratification isn’t easy to accept. I also understand that $7.2M is a lot of money. The decision points, right now, aren’t really about either of these. The $12M buyout for Mullen is also a lot of money and starting over with our 5th head coach since the 2008 National Championship doesn’t ensure success more quickly than giving Mullen another season.

The expectations at Florida ate up Jim McElwain, Will Muschamp, and even Urban Meyer. Who could Florida hire right now that would, without question, get the Gators to the College Football Playoff within four years? The other two finalists when Mullen was hired by the Gators (Chip Kelly and Scott Frost) haven’t done as well as Mullen. Maybe Mullen was too good in his first three years and there is no going backwards to be tolerated? The University of Florida is one of a handful of places where there is no grace period, but maybe the more successful approach is to be a little more patient? As one example, Jim Harbaugh is in his 6th year at Michigan and the Wolverines are currently 9-1. In 2020, Michigan had a losing record. Perhaps Florida should choose that path instead of the paths taken at places like Tennessee and Texas? If so, just maybe their patience will be rewarded.