At each stop, Mullen has tutored quarterbacks who went on to the NFL. At Utah he had overall No. 1 pick Alex Smith of the San Francisco 49ers. At Florida he helped Tim Tebow become the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy last season and has him in position to become the second player to win two straight.

Mullen isn’t sure if he’ll coach in the title game against No. 2 Oklahoma next month, calling it “a fluid situation.”

Tebow said he’s spent more time with Mullen the last three years “than anyone else on earth.”

“He works harder than other coaches,” Tebow said. “It’s why he’s getting his chance. He’s a great QB coach. Look at what he’s done. He’ll get that program in the right direction.”

The 36-year-old Mullen is the fourth youngest coach in the Bowl Subdivision, following 33-year-old Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin, Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald and Washington coach Steve Sarkisian, both 34.

Yet Mullen’s already got quite the resume with 14 years as an assistant coach.

There’s no question he’s got the offensive chops to succeed in the SEC. Florida led the nation in scoring last year and is third this season at 45.5 points per game. Mullen directs the nation’s No. 18 offense (442.4 yards per game) and No. 11 rushing offense (229.7 ypg).

But he won’t forget about the other phases. He will handle special teams personally and expects Mississippi State’s defense to continue to harass opponents in the SEC West, where he sees an opportunity for a quick rise for the Bulldogs.

“Obviously we have to go pursue the team that won the West this year,” Mullen said of Alabama. “There is a lot of talent and we can get caught up with these teams and compete for championships.”