Oct. 19 (UPI) — Florida’s Dan Mullen and Purdue’s Jeff Brohm became the latest coaches to test positive for COVID-19 over the weekend, as the pandemic continues to infiltrate the top college football programs in the United States.
Purdue announced Brohm’s presumed positive test on Sunday. Mullen announced Saturday that he tested positive for COVID-19. Both coaches are in self-isolation inside their respective homes.
“I’m continuing to self-isolate from my family, who all remain healthy, and am following all the guidelines set forth by UF Health, the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and our public health officials,” Mullen tweeted Saturday.
“I am proud of how our players, staff and campus community have navigated this unprecedented time and hope all continue to be safe.”
Last week, Florida paused all football activities and postponed Saturday’s scheduled game against LSU due to a coronavirus outbreak within the program.
Purdue is scheduled to start their 2020 schedule with a game against Iowa at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind. The Boilermakers’ abbreviated schedule features eight games against only Big Ten conference opponents.
Brohm is expected to speak with reporters at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday on a Zoom conference call.
Alabama’s Nick Saban, Kansas’ Les Miles, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Arkansas State’s Blake Anderson, UCLA’s Chip Kelly, Toledo’s Jason Candle and Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin are among the other college football coaches this season to test positive for COVID-19.
Saban tested positive on Wednesday before he tested negative on three subsequent tests. He went into a brief isolation period before he returned to the sideline to coach the Crimson Tide to a win over Georgia in front of nearly 20,000 fans on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“It was very emotional for me,” Saban told reporters Saturday. “I think I gained a lot of respect thinking that I had this, even through we’ve done everything we can to set a good example with social distancing, wearing a mask and washing hands.
“I think everyone should have proper respect [for COVID-19]. When they tell you that you tested positive, it’s not a good feeling.”
