In college football, a head coach is often perceived as a father figure for his players and his wife as a mother. That's the case for many programs across the country, but it's especially true for Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen and his wife Megan.
Videos by FanBuzz
Dan and Megan Mullen have been married since 2005, when he was the offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer at the University of Florida. The couple has two children together — Breelyn and Canon — and are stationed in Gainesville for the foreseeable future.
Throughout the years at UF and Mississippi State, Megan has been right by her husband's side. She's more than a coach's wife, however. She's a leader in the community and mother to all Florida players on the football team.
Who is Dan Mullen's Wife Megan Mullen?
RELATED: Dan Mullen is Becoming the "Villain" of College Football, And That's Perfectly Fine
Megan Mullen was an athlete at Upper St. Clair High School in Pennsylvania, starring on the golf team for all four years. Then known as Megan Zediker, she attended Ohio University, where she majored in broadcast journalism.
An internship at CNN and a degree later, Megan accepted a job at a news station in Maryland. The news director happened to grow up on the same street as Megan near Pittsburgh.
"She offered me a job making $14,600 a year," Megan told 247Sports. "It was a two year contract. I remember trying to negotiate for $16,000, but she refused my offer. She said, "There are a million people behind you. What do you want to do?"
Megan then took another job in Toledo, Ohio, where she would meet her future husband.
How Did They Meet?
Megan was working at the weekend sports anchor and weekday sports reporter in Toledo when an email from Bowling Green State University quarterbacks coach Dan Mullen popped up in her inbox.
Dan was asking to take her to lunch. She didn't answer. Her tried again in another email. Megan still remembers what it said to this day.
"Listen, I am not a stalker," Megan recalled Mullen writing, via 247Sports. "I'm just a quarterback coach with Bowling Green State University. You cover our team, and I have seen you at practice. I would like to take you out to lunch. Again, I'm not a stalker. I just want to take you to lunch. At least have the common courtesy to reply to this e-mail. It would be RUDE not to."
Capital letters. R-U-D-E.
After declining numerous times, Megan finally agreed to lunch at the request of her news director. Dan told her they were going to dinner, however.
"So I went to dinner that night, but didn't brush my hair, and I didn't care. I just wanted it to kind of be over with, but I got there first and when I heard the person walk in behind me I turned around and that was the first time in my life that anybody had taken my breath away," she said.
"I just knew it. It was him. That was the start of Dan."
They began dating. When Dan took the quarterbacks coach job at Utah in 2003, Megan took a job as a sports anchor in Salt Lake City. They lived there for two years and got engaged at the end of the 2004 football season.
They tied the knot on July 4, 2005, while Dan was serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Florida.
Megan Mullen Hugs & Kisses Florida's Players
Florida head football coach Dan Mullen is one of the best in the business. He lands elite high school talent and helps turn several Gators players into NFL Draft picks. His wife Megan Mullen is a big part of that success, too, and she has her own unique pregame ritual.
Whether it's the first game of the season or a big-time SEC clash against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs or LSU Tigers, Megan can be seen giving hugs and kisses on the cheek to Florida football players when they get off the team bus. She also writes them notes and signs her name "Mama M."
"They deserve a family that just loves them more than the world and every day I want them to know how proud I am of them."
Sounds harmless, right? It's all meant with love and support. However, it's become a trending story at times and several people have taken to social media to express their disapproval.
Tweets calling it gross and disrespectful surfaced, according to an Inside Edition profile. One sports blogger even called it sexual harassment. Of course, not everyone feels this way, but it has certainly gotten some attention over the years.
Megan Mullen kisses players before games. That's one way she shows her support. Whether it's the star quarterback or third-string wide receiver, it doesn't matter. She's going to continue to do it while her husband tries to win a national championship with the Gators.
Dan & Megan Mullen Dancing Together
@coachdanmullen
Showing love to Florida football players isn't the only thing the Mullens have in common. They're also, apparently, aspiring social media influencers.
The couple took to the viral video-sharing app TikTok and tried their hand — or feet, in this case — at the "Oh Na Na Na" challenge. The video blew up on social media.
Coach Mullen hasn't figured out how to change his username from "user7449100826183," but at least he stays busy by dancing on TikTok in the offseason. Hey, at least this is more entertaining than boring pics.
Considering Dan's won quite a few NCAA games at Florida already, his wife must be tired of smooching. Florida missed out on the playoff in 2020 but played in Atlanta for an SEC Championship and played in the Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma. Mullen won 29 games over his first three seasons at Florida. For comparison, Clemson's Dabo Swinney has 39 wins and Notre Dame's Brian Kelly has 33 over that span.
Florida will continue trying to win a national championship, and Megan Mullen will be right behind Dan Mullen every step of the way.
This post was originally published on October 12, 2021.
