Allure made it really easy for Brewster
Mullen, Gators’ pedigree attracted assistant coach
GAINESVILLE — UF assistant coach Tim Brewster wakes up each day at 4:30 a.m. and takes his morning jog in the dark while thanking his lucky stars.
Brewster’s one season at Mississippi State with Dan Mullen in 2012 made a lasting impression. Even five seasons at Florida State did not dissuade Brewster from joining Mullen’s Gators in February to coach tight ends.
“It all starts with my admiration for Dan Mullen,” Brewster said Wednesday night. “I just admire the guy. I admire how he coaches, I admire his work ethic, I admire his aptitude for the game of football.”
Brewster worked in the NFL under Mike Shanahan in Denver and Marty Schottenheimer in San Diego. Brewster coached in the college ranks under two national championship winning coaches — Mack Brown and Jimbo Fisher.
But Brewster said Mullen’s ability to grasp all facets of the game is a rare quality.
“I think he’s a special guy in our profession, I really do,” Brewster said. “He’s one of the few guys that could call every offensive play, I think he can call every defensive play and certainly run the kicking game as well.
“When Dan decided to call me … it didn’t take me long to say, ‘Yes.’”
Brewster’s ability to elicit the same response from recruits was one of his key selling points.
“I say this about recruiting … I do it 24⁄7, 365,” he said. “The minute you stop recruiting, the minute you’re behind somebody — and I don’t like to be behind in recruiting. I like to stay ahead of it.”
Mullen’s Gators have landed consecutive top-10 classes, but still have ground to make up with the
top schools in the SEC. Even at age 59, Brewster looks to be the kind of closer UF’s staff could use.
“I love people, I love the relationships that you make throughout the course of recruiting,” Brewster said. “I love going into different situations. I feel like I can go into any situation and really do a good job of connecting with kids. And I think that’s what it’s all about.”
Brewster, who replaced Larry Scott after he became head coach at Howard University, said it helps he strongly believes in the product.
“I mean, when I call a kid up and I can tell him, ‘I’m the only coach in America that could tell you that we’re top 10 in football and top10 in academics,’” Brewster said. “That’s strong stuff man. Beautiful stadium. Beautiful campus. Gator Nation.
“It’s not a hard sell.” Brewster also can market his track record coaching tight ends.
He developed Antonio Gates from a college basketball player into a perennial All-Pro with the San Diego Chargers. At FSU, Nick O’Leary became a first team All-American under Brewster in 2014, a season after helping the Seminoles win the national title.
Brewster hopes to add another championship ring with the Gators.
“That’s all I want to do,” he said.
Brewster’s quest for a championship has led him to a dizzying number of stops during a coaching career now in its fifth decade. Following a failed four-year stint as head coach at Minnesota, Brewster did not coach in 2011.
Since then, he has made three one-year stops — Mississippi State; Texas A&M with Fisher in 2018 following five seasons with him in Tallahassee; and North Carolina with Brown in 2019.
Brewster plans to stick around in Gainesville.
“I told [athletic director] Scott Stricklin I’m going to stay as long as Dan will have me,” Brewster said.
The continuity of Mullen’s staff has been key to the Gators turnaround the past two season, highlighted by back-to-back wins in New Year’s Six bowls and a 21-5 record.
Brewster, a native of New Jersey, aims to make himself indispensable.
“One thing you’re going to get with me is you’re going to get a hard day’s work,” he said. “I’m going to give you every ounce of what I got every day, all day. And hey, we’ll let the chips fall where they may after that.”