Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen was hired as Mississippi State's head coach in late 2008. Mullen arrived in Starkville with an explosive offensive background and a reputation as a quarterback guru, having tutored Alex Smith, Chris Leak and Tim Tebow during his career as an assistant coach. Serving under head coach Urban Meyer, Mullen oversaw an offense at Florida that was one of the most explosive in the country, helped the Gators capture the 2006 and 2008 national championships and sent many players into the National Football League.