The Mississippi State Bulldogs lost longtime coach Dan Mullen to the Florida Gators this offseason, but they moved quickly to hire Joe Moorhead to replace him.

Moorhead has made it a point to keep some star Bulldogs who played under Mullen around the program, including Philadelphia Eagles star DT Fletcher Cox.

Cox was recently at a Mississippi State practice and told 247Sports that he is a big fan of the Bulldogs’ new coach:

“I talk with Coach Moorhead here and there and we shoot a text message back and forth,” Cox said. “I let him know that I was going to be up today and he was excited about it. I sat and talked with him for about 45 minutes. We talked ball and just about life. He’s really excited and ready to roll.

“He’s a great coach. His personality reminds me of my coach right now, Coach (Doug) Pederson. He approaches everything with a positive attitude. He has a lot of energy, but at the same time it’s about the job. It’s about winning games.”

Keeping a guy like Cox interested in the program after Mullen left is huge for Moorhead. Cox, of course, is a native Mississippian, so he wasn’t likely to turn on his former team despite Mullen’s departure.

Still, it’s great for this year’s Bulldogs to see Cox at practice and be able to pick his brain about all things football.