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First family of Florida football: It was meant to be

Dan and Megan Mullen talk love, sacrifice and the game in an exclusive interview with First Coast News' Heather Crawford.

GAINESVILLE -- For years, Tim Tebow ate Thanksgiving dinner at Dan and Megan Mullen's house.

That's because for the Mullens, football is more than a game. It's family.

They spoke to First Coast News for their first interview together as the first family of Florida football, and the first thing they said was it's great to be a Florida Gator.

"It's just like it was meant to be. We're home," Megan Mullen said.

For years, Dan Mullen has been a coveted name for every open head football coaching job in the country. But he waited. He waited for one phone call. It came Thanksgiving weekend.

"It was the one call I think we've been waiting for, forever," Megan said.

It was the athletic director from the University of Florida.

"He left and came back five minutes later and he had this look just in his eyes, and I just looked at him and there was no conversation. I said ‘that's it.’ We're going to Florida. And he goes ‘yep we are going,’" Megan said. "It's not a decision. It's just a feeling."

"When you have the opportunity to come to Florida, where you are at the premier coaching job in America; it's pretty special," Dan Mullen said. "I even wear a visor on the sidelines. I wear a visor because I was a huge Steve Spurrier fan, and now coach's office is right upstairs from mine. I mean I'm in the locker Coach Spurrier was in. I'm in the office Coach Spurrier was in."

The last time they were in Gainesville, Dan was offensive coordinator and Tim Tebow was the quarterback. The Mullens were happy newlyweds with a fur baby named Heisman. They left with two national championship rings.

"It's surreal to be here because now we have our 8-year-old who was born five days after we moved away from Gainesville and we have Bree, and life is so different and it's so cool to share something with them that is so special to us," Megan said.

Their love story began in Ohio. Dan was the quarterback coach at Bowling Green. Megan was the weekend sports anchor at a local television station.

"I was watching the news and the sports and at the end of the broadcast it says if you have any comment you can email Megan West," Dan said. "So, I opened up my email and said ‘hey I'd like to take you out sometime.’"

She didn't respond. He tried again.

"I said ‘I'm not a stalker. You cover our games. At least have common courtesy to respond to the email,’" Dan said.

"It would be rude not to, again I'm not a stalker in capital letters," Megan added.

She finally agreed.

"He walked in and I saw him, and he's the one who took my breath away. See, it's a feeling. You don't make decisions you go on feelings," Megan said.

While her career flourished so did his. They traveled from Ohio to Utah to Gainesville to Starkville, Mississippi. That's when Megan decided to give up her television career.

"It's worked out that way because I guess if Good Morning America had called first I might be the high school coach at Poly Prep High School in Brooklyn right now," Dan said jokingly.

Now back in Gainesville, Dan and Megan are raising 8-year-old Canon, 5-year-old Bree and the Gator football team.

"I was born to be around these players," Megan said.

"We treat every player on the team like they're our own kids and to do that you know I mean Megan is like the co-head coach," Dan said.

They win together. They lose together. They sacrifice together.

"I'm gone before anyone wakes up and home when everyone is asleep. And there are times this time of year you have a recruiting weekend all weekend and Sunday you come home and pack a suitcase and get home Friday night," Dan said.

Of course, in this job sometimes you don't know where home is.

"He looks at me and says I don't know where we live, and I'm like right you don't know where we live," Megan said, recalling their recent conversation.

"They've been there and moved in and I wasn't there," Dan said.

"Goofy things like that go on," Megan said.

"I'd say the only thing people can make fun of you for is we watch the Bachelor when we can and he can get emotional. He gets emotional about former players," Megan said.

"I'll cry at the movies. We've got the Winter Olympics too. I'll cry at the Olympics too. When they do the feel-good stories. Megan will be passing me the Kleenex." Dan said.

With a six-year $36 million deal, the pressure to win can eat you from the inside unless you have a priceless job waiting for you at home.

"No matter what the high or low from game day with the stress and everything you deal with when you go home you're still dad," Dan said.

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