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For some reason, my inner compass is pointing me to this guy
for the Jets.
Talking about Florida’s Dan Mullen.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, perhaps the top NFL scoop guy, reported the other day that Mullen is “hoping to go to the pros.”
That is pretty strong stuff. Clearly Mullen and his agent wanted that out there.
I asked Gil Brandt a couple of months ago what college coach to keep an eye on for an NFL job and he said, “Dan Mullen.”
Former NFL scout and current radio host John Middlekauff tweeted, “Have heard from people that know things who believe Dan Mullen would leave Florida for the Jets in a NY Minute if he was offered the job.”Â
Mullen was recently named PFF College Coach of the Year. He is one of the smartest football minds around and also a very good leader.
From PFF: “Yes, the Oklahoma game was an ugly one for both Kyle Trask and the Florida passing offense as a whole, but let’s not ignore the work Dan Mullen did when he had his slew of receiving weapons at his disposal. He took this Florida passing offense from good in 2018 and 2019 to one of the best in the country in 2020. Mullen and Co. consistently schemed up open throws, gave his receivers room to run after the catch and took away some of the more difficult reads over the middle of the field for Kyle Trask (the same reads he struggled with in 2019).No SEC offense turned more throws of nine yards or less downfield into an explosive gain of 15-plus yards this season than Florida, who racked up 34 such plays, 12 more than anyone else in the conference.”
Remember, the Gators’ star tight end, and a couple standout receivers, opted out of the Oklahoma game.
Something Florida football radio color analyst Lee McGriff said about Mullen recently on SEC Radio, should be part of the blueprint of what the Jets are looking for in a coach; somebody who “gives you an edge” every time you take the field, due to his football intellect.
“There’s a bunch of coaches, who are good coaches, who do a good job, and give you a chance to win, and there are a handful of coaches who give you ‘an edge,'” said McGriff, a Florida WR from the 1970’s. “Dan Mullen is one of those guys.”
I’m not predicting anything here. The Jets are going to take their time with the interview process, and interviewed a few guys week, including Eric Bienemy, Robert Saleh and Marvin Lewis.
Just telling you that my gut is telling me this might be the right guy, at the right time, for the Jets.
Look, they could end up with Wink Martingdale, who knows, but I’m just not sure going down that same road as they did before, with a bombastic Baltimore DC, is he way to go. It’s probably unfair to lump Rex and Wink in the same basket. I’m just saying that the Jets, at this time in history, probably need a proven program-builder, culture-builder, and perhaps avoid rolling the dice again on an hot coordinator.
January 8, 2020
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