Florida Gators Coach Dan Mullen Tests Positive For COVID-19

The diagnosis brings to an end a contentious week for the Gators

South Carolina vs Florida
Dan Mullen, Head Coach of the Florida Gators, looks for a play against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 3, 2020.
Courtney Culbreath/Collegiate Images/Getty Images

Earlier this week, Florida Gators coach Dan Mullen landed in hot water after calling for fans of his team to “pack the Swamp” for a game against LSU. Mullen eventually backtracked on his comments, and the game was postponed due to COVID-19 cases on the Gators.

Today brings with it the news that some of Mullen’s players weren’t the only ones in the Gators camp with the coronavirus. As it turns out, Mullen himself has also tested positive for COVID-19.

The announcement came on Mullen’s Twitter account, where he stated that he is presently self-isolating and following public health guidelines.

The Gators/LSU match that initially sparked this controversy has been rescheduled, with a tentative date of December 12th for the replay.

Mullen’s initial call for a packed stadium came last week after the Gators’ loss to Texas A&M. By Wednesday, Mullen had modified his stance on the issue.

“Whatever our local health officials come out and say, ‘This is the number of people that we’re going to allow at the game right now,’ that I want to encourage those people to come in, bring the energy, bring the excitement in the stadium and help our team to win,” he said.

A ruling by Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, has offered the possibility of full stadiums — but, as the diagnoses within the Gators camp demonstrate, just because something’s possible doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe.

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