Florida hires Mississippi State's Mullen as football coach

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida has hired Mississippi State's Dan Mullen as its next football coach, bringing back the guy who helped turned Tim Tebow into a star.

The Gators announced the deal Sunday, after Mullen told his team he was returning to Gainesville.

Spurned by Chip Kelly and seemingly unwilling to risk waiting for UCF's Scott Frost to possibly do the same, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin turned to Mullen. Stricklin and Mullen worked together in Starkville from 2009 to 2016. Stricklin was Mississippi State's athletic director for seven of those years.