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Florida football: So much good news in coaching carousel for Gators

By Matthew Clark

MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Head Coach Dan Mullen of the Florida Gators raises the Orange Bowl Trophy after winning the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 30: Head Coach Dan Mullen of the Florida Gators raises the Orange Bowl Trophy after winning the Capital One Orange Bowl against the Virginia Cavaliers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 30, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /
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It’s always a great day to love Florida football, but today it’s also a great day to love the Southeastern Conference.

Things might be a little weird in Mississippi, but we still love Florida football.

On Thursday, Mississippi State — in a move to out-splash in-state rival Ole Miss — announced the hiring of Washington State coach Mike Leach to be the Bulldogs’ next head coach.

The announcement came just weeks after Mississippi named former Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin as its new coach.

Leach will replace Joe Moorhead, who was fired after Mississippi State’s 38-28 loss to Louisville in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl.

The announcement does a couple of things for both Florida football and the Southeastern Conference.

Here’s three of them:

TEMPE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 12: Head coach Mike Leach of the Washington State Cougars talks with his team on the sidelines during the first half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Cougars 38-34. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 12: Head coach Mike Leach of the Washington State Cougars talks with his team on the sidelines during the first half of the NCAAF game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on October 12, 2019 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Cougars 38-34. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1. Coaches staying put

Because Leach got the job, Florida football defensive coordinator Todd Grantham isn’t going anywhere.

Couple that with Dan Mullen not getting the Dallas Cowboys job — which wasn’t really happening anyway — and the Gators should have most if not all of their coaches back next season.

Now Grantham was mentioned to be a hot commodity for the Mississippi State job and considering he spent a year in Starkville with Mullen before coming to Florida football, there was some legitimacy to Grantham heading the Bulldogs.

It would seem that either Mississippi State athletics director John Cohen contacted Grantham or his agent and Grantham passed on being interviewed, or Grantham was never really a candidate, to begin with.

Either way, it doesn’t really matter as Grantham should be back to coach one of the best defensive units in the country with Florida football.

Co-offensive coordinators Billy Gonzales and John Hevesy aren’t likely going to be on the market because of their association with Mullen.

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