Dan Mullen and his wife Megan have been married for 18 years and she’s been following him around from place to place supporting his coaching career ever since.
But come to find out, things could have turned out very differently had Mullen not received the call from Mississippi State way back when. Megan was a news anchor and working toward a bright future in her own career, but they promised one another that whoever’s career took off first, they would commit to that 100 percent.
“When we were here before, she was the main anchor of the golf channel,” Mullen said. “We had the discussion at one point, I mean, hey, if Good Morning America calls or one of those calls, I could be coaching at Poly Prep High School in Brooklyn or something. The opportunity when I became a head coach, we were going all-in one way or the other, and when I became the head coach she was all-in.”
Life has been a whirlwind since Mullen returned to Florida as head coach, but Megan remains just as involved as ever.
She is constantly around the program to not only support her husband, but to support his players as well. She provides some balance to Mullen’s always-intense nature.
“It’s really a two-person job,” he said. “She does such a great job. I’m probably tough on people and she’s a lot more loving than I am on everybody. She’s like the co-head coach when it comes to trying to be around the players and pick them up. And she’s always positive, always has a smile on her face. That’s who she is, not just around the players. She does that for me, always puts a smile on my face. Whenever I get home and all that, she’s always fantastic. I think it’s a huge help and I think it’s a major part of our program.”
The love she has for the players, and the mutual affection they feel for her, is apparent. It was on display following Saturday’s game as she personally congratulated many of them, and even gave T.J. Slaton a kiss on the cheek.
Not only do the current players seem to be very fond of Megan, she has made an impact on Florida’s recruits as well. Current USC commit Chris Steele tweeted over the weekend, “Mama Mullen is the best,” and several other recruits chimed in to agree, including 2019 prospects Keon Zipperer and Jaydon Hill.
Her caring personality seems to rub off on everyone she comes in contact with.
“She’s a really big supporter of our team,” said quarterback Feleipe Franks. “She’s a wonderful woman. She’s a really big motivational type of person. Whenever you’re having a down day, she’s right there with a big smile on her face to pick you right up. She’s just a great human being, somebody you want to be around when you’re having a gloomy day, because it seems like she’s never having one.”
Franks went on to say other coaches’ wives have been involved in the program, and it is not an uncommon thing in football, but not nearly to the extent of Megan. Her value at Florida cannot be measured, but does not go unnoticed.
While her husband works on fixing the offense and bringing the Gators back to prominence, she will be there to put smiles on faces and provide encouragement every step of the way.