UF’s Mullen frustrated after latest drubbing
Dan Mullen’s strange and subpar season took another twist Monday when the Florida coach canceled media access to players and coordinators for the remainder of the week.
It came two days after a 34-7 drubbing to rival Georgia in nearby Jacksonville, the program’s seventh loss in its past nine games against Power Five opponents.
Mullen seemed frustrated earlier Monday as he shot down a question about recruiting during a 12 media session that was described by school officials as being fit into a “tight window.”
“We’re in the season right now,” said Mullen, who can’t be on the road recruiting because of NCAA sanctions that included a one-year, showcause penalty. “We’ll do recruiting after the season. When it gets to recruiting time, we can talk about recruiting.”
It’s become a sore subject for Mullen and a hot topic for Florida fans. Georgia has signed a higher-ranked class every year since 2014, waves of talent that include 26 more five-star recruits than the Gators have landed.
Florida’s 2022 class now ranks 22nd in the nation following two recent decommitments; linebacker Shemar James of Mobile, Alabama, and cornerback Julian Humphrey of Houston withdrew verbal commitments following LSU’s stunning upset of Florida last month.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, either intentionally or inadvertently, took a shot at Mullen and the Gators following Saturday’s game.
“There’s no coach out there that can outcoach recruiting,” Smart said. “I don’t care who you are. The best coach to ever play the game better be a good recruiter because no coaching is going to outcoach players.”
Elsewhere: Gary
●
Patterson, the secondlongest-tenured head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision, has parted ways with TCU. Patterson, 61, was honored with a statue on TCU’s campus in 2016 after helping return a long-downtrodden team to a place among college football’s top programs, but his Horned Frogs had been on a multiyear slide. Patterson’s departure came a day after the Horned Frogs fell to 3-5, and 1-4 in the Big 12, with a 31-12 loss to Kansas State that was their fifth defeat in their past six games. Since going 11-3 in 2017, capped by a win over Stanford in the Alamo Bowl, the Horned Frogs are 21-22. Jerry
Kill, a former head coach at Minnesota and a close friend of Patterson’s who joined TCU’s staff in 2020, will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season.
ETC.
Soccer: Jimenez
Forward Raul ●
earned his first home goal in more than a year to inspire Wolves to beat Everton 2-1 in the English Premier League. Jimenez, fit again after recovering from a lifethreatening fractured skull 12 months ago, scored at Molineux for the first time since October 2020. … Radamel Falcao was held scoreless as Rayo Vallecano’s winning run at home was halted by Celta Vigo in a 0-0 draw in the Spanish league. … Bologna moved up to mid-table after beating last-placed Cagliari 2-0 in Serie A.
Lorenzi De Silvestri and
Marko Arnautovic scored second-half goals as Bologna ended a threematch winless run.
Horse racing: Knicks ●
Go is the early 5-2 favorite for the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic this weekend at Del Mar. Knicks Go drew the No. 5 post on Monday in the nine-horse field for the 1 1⁄4-mile Classic. Trained by Brad Cox, he’ll be ridden by Joel Rosario.
Tennis: Canada won
● the decisive doubles to upset defending champion France 2-1 in the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
Spain staged a comeback to beat Slovakia 2-1 for the first time after two losses, including the 2002 final. Also, the Czech Republic prevailed in the doubles to overcome Germany 2-1 in Group D, and Belgium beat Belarus 2-1 on the hard courts at the O2 Arena. After the French and Canadian teams split the opening singles, Gabriela Dabrowski and
Rebecca Marino defeated Lara Burel and Alize Cornet 6-3, 7-6 (6). …
Andy Murray blew seven match points and lost his Paris Masters opener to lucky loser Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (9).