Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Dan Mullen will sleep after the FedEx BCS National Championship Game.
Better yet, he might take a long winter's nap.
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| | J. Meric/Getty Images |
| | Dan Mullen will coach one more game with the Gators before leaving for Mississippi State. |
Mullen, who's been wearing the dual hats of new Mississippi State head coach and Florida offensive coordinator the past few weeks, isn't complaining, though. He can't imagine a better scenario for a coach.
"That's what keeps you going, that adrenalin rush," said Mullen, who will be in the booth and call plays one final time Thursday night for the Gators. "We're playing in the national championship game, and that's an unbelievable experience. And as soon as we're through, I get to get on a plane and go be a head coach for the first time.
"The adrenalin rush is just going to keep going all the way through signing day. And then after signing day, I might collapse for 24 hours."
Mullen said he quit counting how few hours of sleep he was getting sometime last month. He was with Mississippi State the whole time before Christmas, recruiting and assembling his staff. He returned to Florida on Christmas Eve, but went back to Mississippi State for a few days on Dec. 30 and 31.
The last time an offensive playcaller tried to wear both hats in a national championship game was a disaster. Mark Richt had just taken the job at Georgia, but called plays for Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl. The heavily favored Seminoles didn't score any offensive points in a 13-2 loss to Oklahoma.
Mullen said his divided duties haven't caused any snags in the Gators' preparations.
"Our staff has been together for so long that none of that stuff is going to change any of the things we do," Mullen said.
Florida coach Urban Meyer knew Mullen was too much of a pro to let one job affect the other.
"Dan and I have known each other for nine years," Meyer said. "To say, 'Don't wear that other hat,' you don't do that. Just make sure you do it on your time, so we put together a schedule. When you're a Gator, you're a Gator. When you need to go recruit, go recruit. He's done a great job with it."
Chris Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
