SEC media days: The story behind Dan Mullen’s sneakers and suits

Dan Mullen didn't think he was making a big fashion statement at SEC media days three years ago.

Yes, he was wearing trendy new sneakers — gray Adidas kicks designed by Kanye West. And yes, he paired them with a dark pinstripe suit.

But Mullen (then the coach at Mississippi State) didn't think the suit-and-sneakers look would buzz on social media and follow him to Atlanta next week for his first SEC media days as the Gators' head coach.

"It kind of blew up," Mullen said recently.

The story behind the shoes starts with a simple fact: Mullen likes them.

His footwear collection is hard to count after switching from Mississippi State (an Adidas school) to Florida (which wears Nike's Jordan Brand), but Mullen said it's closer to 50 pairs than 10. He figures he has at least 10 different pairs of Jordans. Add in dress shoes, flip-flops, regular Nikes, unopened boxes and old pairs removed from the rotation, and Mullen thinks his collection is larger than his wife's.

He wore Stark Vegas sneakers with his suit before playing Auburn in 2014. As media days approached the next summer, Mullen and Adidas kicked around some ideas to show off both brands.

When Mullen received his Adidas Yeezy 350 Boost shoes, he posted a photo of the just-opened box on Twitter.