Florida Football: 5 candidates to replace Jim McElwain as head coach

Dan Mullen has worked wonders in Starkville, turning Mississippi State into a regular dark-horse candidate in the SEC West. Mullen had a 5-7 season in his first year leading the Bulldogs in 2009. Since then, though, he has taken Mississippi State to seven straight bowl games. In a division that features teams like Alabama, Auburn, and LSU, merely becoming bowl eligible with such consistency is a feat unto itself.

But Mullen hasn’t been content just to reach the postseason every year. Working with players like Dak Prescott and Nick Fitzgerald at quarterback, Mullen has finished in the top 15 of the AP Top 25 in both 2010 and 2014 and even landed the Bulldogs at No. 1 in the inaugural College Football Playoff back in 2014.

Mullen would come with several advantages, first and foremost his experience coaching in the blast furnace that is the SEC. There is no risk that Mullen would be overmatched by his opponents in conference play, as he has already proven capable of leading a historical afterthought to success in the league.

He also has the advantage of understanding the culture in Gainesville. Before landing at Mississippi State, Mullen spent eight seasons working under Urban Meyer at Bowling Green, Utah, and Florida. He was the offensive coordinator for the two most recent BCS championships won by the Gators, and would be an enticing choice to lead them back to prominence.