Mullen-to-NFL reports surfacing

Florida coach Dan Mullen could be on the verge of opting out.

One week after insisting he hadn’t even thought about the NFL, there are reports Mullen might walk away from the Gators, telling NFL teams he’s interested in making the jump to the pros.

It was tumultuous season for Mullen. He landed Florida on NCAA probation, was dealt a show-cause penalty for recruiting violations, was fined and reprimanded by the SEC for his role in a benches-clearing fight, and was widely criticized for seemingly tone-deaf comments following two losses.

The Gators are 29-9 since Mullen took over for fired coach Jim McElwain following the 2017 season. He signed a six-year, $36.6 million contract that made him the 10th-highest paid coach in college football in 2020.