GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Dan Mullen dressed as Darth Vader to take questions from the media Saturday night.

Mullen showed up following a 41-17 victory over Missouri wearing a “Star Wars” villain costume, complete with a red lightsaber. He even launched into character at the beginning and end of his news conference.

Mullen insisted he chose the outfit long before he was in the middle of a halftime scuffle between the teams Saturday night.

He explained that his getup was part of a Halloween tradition started as coach at Mississippi State, though the team never played on Halloween night. Mullen said his staff — those with younger children — was given the opportunity to take the kids our trick-or-treating.

Ultimately, though, he admitted his attire was “suitable tonight.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia offensive lineman Juan Gaston (73) walks off of the field as trainers and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart tend to him after Gaston was injured during their game against Marshall at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, August 30, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT