Florida football: 5 reasons Gators will be better than Florida State in 2018
By Phil Poling
3. Culture change
With both Florida and Florida State moving in a new direction, which head ball coach will develop the better culture surrounding his program?
The Gators have had their issues off the field — namely the credit card fraud incidents last year — but they’re not alone in that regard. Just last August, a Florida State player was suspended after being arrested on charges of cashing or depositing an item with intent to defraud. These issues would likely go away if the NCAA paid college athletes, but I digress.
Florida and Florida State have had their fair share of excellence on the field, but that production on the gridiron shouldn’t trump bad behavior off of it. Going back to Urban Meyer at UF, and even Jameis Winston at FSU, these schools have had players in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Mullen dealt with a handful of player arrests while at Mississippi State, but if he plans on coaching at a program like Florida, he’ll need to become more of a disciplinarian.
Taggart’s approach to player accountability is one that every coach should strive for. That’s been his biggest point of emphasis since taking over for Jimbo Fisher, whose program seemed to function as a fraternity that just couldn’t get things right.