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Short and Not-At-All-Sweet

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
First, we must face facts:
This team and program is not simply “underachieving” now, it is in a steady, observable downward trend where the supposed “high point” is lower and reached notably EARLIER each season, year-by-year.
Second, the above is true even though our talent level across-the-board has trended UP.
Take a ruler and compasses, track it visually in 2 dimensions and you can SEE CLEARLY where it inevitably leads, where the two trends converge, and what it all implies:
We will CONTINUE to self-destruct earlier and earlier each season—As we’ve done so far under Mullen/Grantham...and, it must be noted, Mullen PUT himself in that pairing of joined-at-the-hip responsibility when he RETAINED Grantham after LAST season! He had to KNOW that: “Loyal to a FAULT!”
Where does that leave US?
Completely “OUT of it” by mid-October, barely mid-SEASON!
Don’t just take MY word for it.
Go back and LOOK at the whole Mullen record here as Head Coach: Match headlines, scores and overall records, along with dates and corresponding public standing and what we were playing for by WHEN, and you’ll SEE: If anything, I’m going EASY, staying pretty calm and and patient with my emotional tone and analysis of our Coach’s tenure.
I like Mullen.
But I LOVE the Florida Gators—and his stubbornness may well be in the process of WRECKING any proximal “coming success” now!
I still have no immediate suggestion or “returns on the coaching radar” to offer regarding even a “possible competent replacement”, let alone an “exciting one”!
(My “only possible one out there”, Sarkisian, was swept up by Texas...Not that THAT was any “slam dunk”—just the only one I had out there AT ALL).
So I can’t, WON’T begin hollering for his head. Not me. Not now...NOT YET, at any rate.
But he MUST now make radical “mid-season course corrections”—and I just don’t know that he has that IN him.
Bite-the-bullet and at least begin to sub in AR early and often—and leave him IN there longer...if not at SOME point make him “QB1” THIS season, at least make him the clear “heir apparent”, preparing for his eventual full on installation as he masters the playbook.
You just can no longer be concerned with their (the two quarterbacks’) “ideal relationship” to the exclusion of “what is best for the offense”!
I don’t know WHEN or HOW you handle the “Grantham Question”—But YOU’RE THE COACH, Dan! Do it your way, but DO SOMETHING!
You just GOT to, damnit!
Finally, agile as you are with this “transfer portal” business, it just ISN’T completely fitting the bill in terms of a competitive “steady and full upgrade, season-by-season.
We need another LEVEL of improvement in recruiting if we are to catch up, even maybe PASS SEC programs already ahead of us—with more coming, even passing us perhaps in the near future if we DON’T. You need some HELP there.
The writing’s on the wall, Coach; if you wanna stay, see it through, and ultimately see history written as you intended when you CAME here, as “the next Gator coaching-HERO”, you must begin making Big, DRAMATIC changes NOW.
Please, for your sake and ours, begin to MAKE them!
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
I doubt the Gators get Brian Johnson back, but we can dream. Coaches win by finding a formula that works. Mullen's formula is similar to Urban Meyer's formula, except that Mullen is more conservative and more dependent upon people he knows well. Part of the Meyer formula is sticking to his coaching tree and growing it as he gains success at other head coaching gigs:
-Steve Addazio, Boston College (Florida OL/OC under Meyer)
-Gary Andersen, Wisconsin (Utah DL under Meyer)
-Tim Beckman, Illinois (DC at Bowling Green under Meyer)
-Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green, now OC at New Mexico State (OC at Bowling Green under Meyer)
-Doc Holliday, Marshall (Safeties coach at Florida under Meyer)
-Dan McCarney*, North Texas (DL at Florida under Meyer)
-Mike Sanford, UNLV, now HC at Indiana State (OC at Utah under Meyer)
-Charlie Strong, Texas (DC at Florida under Meyer)
-Kyle Whittingham, Utah (DC at Utah under Meyer)
-Everett Withers, James Madison (DC at Ohio State under Meyer)
-Jay Hill, Weber State (GA at Utah under Meyer)
-Ryan Day, Ohio State (OC at Ohio State under Meyer)

The core of Mullen's coaching tree is a pared down branch from Meyer's:
-Billy Gonzales (WR coach under Meyer, co-OC/WR coach under Mullen at Mississippi St and Florida)
-John Hevesy (OL coach under Meyer, co-OC/OL coach under Mullen at Mississippi St and Florida)
-Brian Johnson (QB under Meyer at Utah, QB coach under Mullen at Mississippi St and Florida)

Mullen will never abandon the new branches of his tree from Mississippi State:
-Todd Grantham (DC)
-Greg Knox (RB/ST coach)
-Christian Robinson (GA under Mullen at Mississippi St and at Ole Miss and Georgia, LB coach at Mississippi St and Florida, QB coach for Philadelphia Eagles)

Others from Mullen's tree are not coming to Florida:
-Manny Diaz (DC at Mississippi State in two stints, DC at Texas/La Tech/Miami, HC at Miami)
-Geoff Collins (co-DC/DC at Mississippi State, HC at Temple replacing Steve Addazio, HC at Georgia Tech)
-Peter Simon (DC at Mississippi State, DC/ILB coach at California)
-Les Koenning (co-OC/QB coach at Mississippi State, OC/ WR/RB coach at Texas, UAB, So Miss, Kansas)
-Chris Wilson (co-DC at Mississippi State, DL coach at Georgia, USC, Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl LII), Arizona Cardinals, and Colorado)
-Carl Torbush (DC at Mississippi State, Kansas, Liberty, East Tenn State)

As fans we can throw out any fantasy name to replace Todd Grantham, but that is not going to happen unless Grantham chooses to leave. We can fantasize about Brian Johnson returning to Florida, but that is not going to happen. What we can hope for is that Mullen is making new friends around college football and keeping a good list of replacement coaches that will help him keep his job as head coach at Florida.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
I doubt the Gators get Brian Johnson back, but we can dream. Coaches win by finding a formula that works. Mullen's formula is similar to Urban Meyer's formula, except that Mullen is more conservative and more dependent upon people he knows well. Part of the Meyer formula is sticking to his coaching tree and growing it as he gains success at other head coaching gigs:
-Steve Addazio, Boston College (Florida OL/OC under Meyer)
-Gary Andersen, Wisconsin (Utah DL under Meyer)
-Tim Beckman, Illinois (DC at Bowling Green under Meyer)
-Gregg Brandon, Bowling Green, now OC at New Mexico State (OC at Bowling Green under Meyer)
-Doc Holliday, Marshall (Safeties coach at Florida under Meyer)
-Dan McCarney*, North Texas (DL at Florida under Meyer)
-Mike Sanford, UNLV, now HC at Indiana State (OC at Utah under Meyer)
-Charlie Strong, Texas (DC at Florida under Meyer)
-Kyle Whittingham, Utah (DC at Utah under Meyer)
-Everett Withers, James Madison (DC at Ohio State under Meyer)
-Jay Hill, Weber State (GA at Utah under Meyer)
-Ryan Day, Ohio State (OC at Ohio State under Meyer)

The core of Mullen's coaching tree is a pared down branch from Meyer's:
-Billy Gonzales (WR coach under Meyer, co-OC/WR coach under Mullen at Mississippi St and Florida)
-John Hevesy (OL coach under Meyer, co-OC/OL coach under Mullen at Mississippi St and Florida)
-Brian Johnson (QB under Meyer at Utah, QB coach under Mullen at Mississippi St and Florida)

Mullen will never abandon the new branches of his tree from Mississippi State:
-Todd Grantham (DC)
-Greg Knox (RB/ST coach)
-Christian Robinson (GA under Mullen at Mississippi St and at Ole Miss and Georgia, LB coach at Mississippi St and Florida, QB coach for Philadelphia Eagles)

Others from Mullen's tree are not coming to Florida:
-Manny Diaz (DC at Mississippi State in two stints, DC at Texas/La Tech/Miami, HC at Miami)
-Geoff Collins (co-DC/DC at Mississippi State, HC at Temple replacing Steve Addazio, HC at Georgia Tech)
-Peter Simon (DC at Mississippi State, DC/ILB coach at California)
-Les Koenning (co-OC/QB coach at Mississippi State, OC/ WR/RB coach at Texas, UAB, So Miss, Kansas)
-Chris Wilson (co-DC at Mississippi State, DL coach at Georgia, USC, Philadelphia Eagles (Super Bowl LII), Arizona Cardinals, and Colorado)
-Carl Torbush (DC at Mississippi State, Kansas, Liberty, East Tenn State)

As fans we can throw out any fantasy name to replace Todd Grantham, but that is not going to happen unless Grantham chooses to leave. We can fantasize about Brian Johnson returning to Florida, but that is not going to happen. What we can hope for is that Mullen is making new friends around college football and keeping a good list of replacement coaches that will help him keep his job as head coach at Florida.
Meanwhile, Orgeron SOUNDS like HE’S gone from LSU “end of the season” now no matter WHAT happens...WTF?
“Greek tragedy” stuff?
As in, “Falling on your own sword?!!” Would really APPRECIATE Grantham doing that for OUR (and more so MULLEN’S) sake!
No such luck tho’...
Afraid you’re right, in truth: He WON’T do it “just” to keep his job here. And much as I might admire that “honorable” portion of his nature and personality (it would be for the sake of this team and program TOO, after all), this all goes back to and for the sake of that “stubbornness” as well!
C’mon COACH! This is a tough business, with big stakes and a whole lot of folks—players, coaches, fans, and everyone’s’ FAMILIES depending on your decisions and ultimate SUCCESS...Your DC knew the score, had ample warning of how much rested on HIS job performance coming into this season, no?
Alright, alright. Enough said on all that here and now.
There well might be more going on around all this than we could possibly KNOW, at THIS point.
I am just downright EXHAUSTED from all the “news”, real or NOT, that’s been swirling around our team and all the rest of college football ALL WEEK.
“GAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!!”
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
@DRU2012 Make no mistake: Ed Orgeron was not dismissed over football issues--he was dismissed over both NCAA Title IX and FBI investigations. All that talk about "a new direction" is just a cover-up. LSU's Title IX issues and inappropriate recruiting practices did not end with Les Miles, and it was not confined to the football program. The LSU baseball coach resigned at the end of last season, as did the women's basketball coach (arguably for different reasons, but possibly with issues that prevent her from coaching in college for some period). LSU already fired a couple lesser known coaches, including their OL coach. Other coaches were asked to resign, including a couple head coaches for the swim team (HC and AHC). I would be surprised if the gymnastics coach does not resign, but that coach might actually be the only clean coach they have.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
@DRU2012 Make no mistake: Ed Orgeron was not dismissed over football issues--he was dismissed over both NCAA Title IX and FBI investigations. All that talk about "a new direction" is just a cover-up. LSU's Title IX issues and inappropriate recruiting practices did not end with Les Miles, and it was not confined to the football program. The LSU baseball coach resigned at the end of last season, as did the women's basketball coach (arguably for different reasons, but possibly with issues that prevent her from coaching in college for some period). LSU already fired a couple lesser known coaches, including their OL coach. Other coaches were asked to resign, including a couple head coaches for the swim team (HC and AHC). I would be surprised if the gymnastics coach does not resign, but that coach might actually be the only clean coach they have.
I must confess, I have been so caught up in OUR problems in the aftermath of these losses and general poor play that I haven’t really been paying much “in-depth” attention to Orgeron and LSU’s travails;
I wasn’t much AWARE of all this DEEP DOO DOO over there!
SO: Now that I AM, I see your point...It all goes a long way to explaining, well, to explaining MANY things actually.
Even LESS excuse our LOSING to them that way, for one thing!
MAN, WTF is going on with OUR Coach and staff?!!
Hard to figure how far astray things must have gone for us to so fully lost our “killer instinct”!
Mullen couldn’t gameplan better against a team and program in such DISARRAY?!!
YIKES!!!
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
I must confess, I have been so caught up in OUR problems in the aftermath of these losses and general poor play that I haven’t really been paying much “in-depth” attention to Orgeron and LSU’s travails;
I wasn’t much AWARE of all this DEEP DOO DOO over there!
SO: Now that I AM, I see your point...It all goes a long way to explaining, well, to explaining MANY things actually.
Even LESS excuse our LOSING to them that way, for one thing!
MAN, WTF is going on with OUR Coach and staff?!!
Hard to figure how far astray things must have gone for us to so fully lost our “killer instinct”!
Mullen couldn’t gameplan better against a team and program in such DISARRAY?!!
YIKES!!!
Our problems do not seem so bad compared to LSU's, if you are able to open your eyes and look past wins and losses. If this were the 1980s, LSU might be facing a death penalty or sanctions similar to the ones that Florida faced in the 1980s. LSU's Title IX and FBI issues go back a few years, but the NCAA has softened up over the years and apparently is going to let LSU handle this quietly by letting coaches retire or resign (with the exception of one firing, the offensive line coach...likely a fall guy...who is suing LSU for wrongful termination).

So, yes, it sucks facing a losing record. At least we are not under investigation for Title IX and whatever the FBI is looking into with LSU.
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Our problems do not seem so bad compared to LSU's, if you are able to open your eyes and look past wins and losses. If this were the 1980s, LSU might be facing a death penalty or sanctions similar to the ones that Florida faced in the 1980s. LSU's Title IX and FBI issues go back a few years, but the NCAA has softened up over the years and apparently is going to let LSU handle this quietly by letting coaches retire or resign (with the exception of one firing, the offensive line coach...likely a fall guy...who is suing LSU for wrongful termination).

So, yes, it sucks facing a losing record. At least we are not under investigation for Title IX and whatever the FBI is looking into with LSU.
Mmmmm...
Somewhat “small consolation” when it comes down to “not as bad as THEM”, and/or “no DEATH Penalty, at least!”...

Fact still remains—well, a whole BUNCHA “facts”, and more on the way, I’m afraid.
And I’m starting to get that “queasy deep in my gut” feeling that a WHOLE lot “more” may be “on the way” now...
Don’t y’all?
Oh, I PRAY I am WRONG, that it isn’t as bad as I am feeling/FEARING now:
That “It’s OK: ‘the worst’ has happened, is already out there, and we can begin the long road back—THAT WE ARE STILL ON THAT ROAD!”
But is that the case?
Am I just afflicted by all the panicked darkness out there in Gator Nation now?
Or simply acknowledging the avalanche bearing down upon us?
Hard to say, at this point.
Hard to SEE through all the clouds of dust, hard to HEAR through all the noise.
It has all come down upon us so hard, so fast!
 

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