Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin issued a statement explaining the decision to fire coach Dan Mullen.
Stricklin pledged to "attract a candidate who can sustain high-level success for a long time." and touted Florida's academic and athletic success, "fertile recruiting ground" in the state, and the Heavener Football Training Center, which is set to open this spring.
"There is no timetable for our search, but we are going to move as quickly as possible," Stricklin said. "We want to take the time we need to get the right coach who has high expectations and big aspirations that match the University of Florida, while casting a vision and getting others to buy into that vision, resulting in sustained success over a long period of time.