RECRUITING SEASON: Retelling THAT Dan Mullen Story

uh coach the topic of recruiting has come up a lot the last couple days from a few angles uh is it a different approach needed for the level consisten we we're in the season right now we'll do recruiting after the season and when it gets this recruiting time we can talk about recruiting sounds good okay next question can you tell us a little bit about that day and how that like did when did you know that that was like blown up like ho crap okay that that this is offseason so yeah good good offseason F here so all right so of course Florida plays Georgia uh Kirby Smart's talking about recruiting and all that and look I kind of broke my own rule like not to ask about recruiting during the season um that is a rule I've given myself but at the time I was like you know what kiry's bringing it up I I think it's worth bringing up um so this was when we were still doing Zoom press conferences um because this is 2021 so this is after the co year of course remember but they were still doing Zoom press conferences at Florida thankfully for me uh because I'm here in Jacksonville uh so of course we get our normal Monday press conference and you guys know now usually in those press conferences usually it's like Edgar or Mark long who gets to go first for whatever reason they pick me first I I don't know why and I'm like and that's like I kind of knew going in like as soon as it happened instantaneously in my mind I was like oh crap this isn't going to be good I was like I did not want this to be the first I did not want this to be the first question um so I asked the question you guys know the history there and so it went exactly about like I thought it would but at the time like guys I did not want that to happen um I thought it was a possibility that could go that way but I was wanted to kind of ask it in a way where I thought it would be a a t-ball question for Mullen to kind of sell Florida like you know what like probably 95% of the coaches would have done we got a great place we believe in what we're doing we want guys to come to Florida blah blah blah instead he got defensive and you all know the story there uh there but that that's just kind of how it happened um but then of course he shuts down media for the rest of the week and I got people calling me and Jo jokingly say oh way to go you we we can't get anything this week because of you um but no that that was that was not serious it was it was a joke running around the circles there a lot of people were mad uh at Florida and Mullen for allowing him to to do that and cut off communication uh but yeah it it was crazy of course I was getting Twitter DMS and phone calls like crazy um of It kind of being the first steps of what ended up eventually happening with him getting fired later that year but uh yeah it there's I I don't usually you guys know me in the season I'm I'm about the football program I'm about the games being played I'm not a big recruit Nick during the season uh I live for those four months of the year uh but with it being such a Hot Topic Kirby smart bringing it up I was like okay yeah I'll ask about it uh and and more so just because I hope Mullen hits a home run here with the with the answer but it went the complete opposite way they thought Sunshine pumper they didn't want to let Mark long talk about it saw that Dave question right before he walked out there and had to make sure he pointed him out so he knew whenever he was asking a question to answer real good oh this guy's give me a fall yeah I didn't know it was the first time I first time I ever ever got to go first at a press conference but uh that that that that was that was that was the result that was the result of it hilarious that he that story that's are we currently recruiting season right now I think I think under Napier he's fine with it he's he's fine to talk about it any time iown is I think I think that should be the the outlook for any coaches I mean there's a reason Kirby is as good as he is every day he's recruiting season he look hey look yeah and look and I'll say and I'll say with that contrast that to your um your experience with uh with Billy obviously as far as like the personalities maybe and also um the recruiting block uh yeah I mean for for for Mullen you know he didn't mean it you know well he didn't mean it in the way we don't recruit during the season of course but that's the way it was taken you know that was the way it was uh misconstrued because I think people were just ready to pounce on him uh and jump on him after that comment um it was more we talk recruiting during recruiting season but of course there's not a recruiting season but I think we all knew what he meant but as I said I think he just got pounced on because of the situation um for for for Napier um yeah I just think first of all I like his personality I think he is down to earth personal personable whether you know whether you get a lot out of what he says in press conferences or not that's I think that's just who he is um I think I was fortunate enough to ask him his opening press conference I got was fortunate to ask a question there and it was the question I did ask him was about his philosophy of calling plays and how he was going to fail out of staff and that's when he first let us know he was going to hire two offensive line coaches and he was goingon to call the plays um there so you I got to ask a question right away and you I don't get to go to Gainesville um for the Monday press conferences or midweek press conferences so if I get to ask anything it's after games or what I share with you guys when I get to usually I get my question in for the SEC teleconference because I can just call in uh and that's a weekly thing there so I try to make myself normal there on that SEC teleconference so uh but every interaction I've had with him uh even behind the scenes uh I've been on campus a little bit uh doing stuff with you know nil and Florida Victoria skater Collective and I've been around napor in that environment as well so it's just uh yeah I I hope it works out because I like the dude I like the man the person that he is I hope it works out but we all know this is about wins and losses but like as I said and I've said it plenty of times the last month or so if he if he gets this thing rolling I think it will be hard to stop just because of how he has built it and kind of who he is and how he operates he's just got to get it going