Florida head coach Dan Mullen announced via Twitter on Saturday that he has tested positive for COVID-19. His positive test has been confirmed, and he is currently in self-isolation.
Earlier this week, Florida had put a halt to practices after experiencing a spike in positive COVID-19 test results. In his statement, Mullen said those impacted are recovering well.
“Thank you Gator Nation for all your support for the program this week,” Mullen said. “Thankfully, everyone impacted is recovering well and has experienced mild to no symptoms… I am proud of how our players, staff and campus community have navigated this unprecedented time and hope all continue to be safe.”
Mullen’s announcement comes hours after Alabama head coach Nick Saban was cleared to coach the Crimson Tide’s game against Georgia following three consecutive negative test results. Saban and Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne had each tested positive on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, the SEC fined three schools—Texas A&M, Tennessee and Ole Miss—for failing to comply with the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had previously sent a memo to schools last week saying their conference revenue distribution would be docked $100,000 for each week that they did not follow the protocols.
“Do not relax—and do not let those around you relax—because of a few weeks of success,” Sankey reportedly wrote in the memo.
On Friday, the conference rearranged its schedule to accommodate two postponed games originally scheduled for this week: Vanderbilt-Missouri and Florida-LSU. In all, six games were impacted, with Florida-LSU being pushed to Dec. 12.
