Dan Mullen keeps churning out the quotes
Minutes after Ole Miss beat Mississippi State 31-17 in the 2014 Egg Bowl, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen uttered words he’ll never live down.
“It sucks. I’m not going to enjoy it. I’m not going to be able to freakin’ sleep for about 365 days until they show up at our place next year,” Mullen said.
Ears peaked in the postgame interview room in the corner of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Journalists with a nose for news knew that was quote gold.
It didn’t take long for a snickering Ole Miss fan to create www.IsDanMullenTiredYet.com. The site is still tracking Mullen’s dearth.
A year later, Ole Miss beat Mullen’s Bulldogs 38-27 in Starkville and, of course, it took only seconds after the game for Twitter sarcasm and photoshopped photos of a bloodshot Mullen whose bedtime became another 12 months away.
Mullen didn’t look that tired when he completed the Boston Marathon following April’s Maroon and White spring game, so maybe he is slipping the occasional nap in.
What he can’t seem to stop slipping out are statements that, while probably are the right things to say, are being eaten alive by the half of Mississippi that cheers for the rested Rebels.
Earlier this month, a story from Logan Lowery in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal quoted Mullen as saying: “I have no intention of ever leaving” Mississippi State.
It’s probably a pretty silly thing to say, but there is nothing wrong with the statement. No one knows what the future holds, and there would be nothing wrong with leaving if Notre Dame or Michigan came calling.
The problem is that the sleep comment has Mullen’s non-supporters itching for something to entertainingly ridicule.
This from 2011: “We will win a championship here at Mississippi State,” Mullen said. “We will win an SEC (championship) and we will win a national championship here at Mississippi State. It might be this year. Who knows? It might be next year. It might be the following year. It might take us 15 years, but we will win a championship for the people of Mississippi.”
Like the frustrated and fiery Mullen with the sleep comments after an Egg Bowl loss, that came after a frustrating home loss to LSU in 2011.
Championships should be the goal for every team in the country. Saying it with that kind of edge though is almost crazy.
Mullen doesn’t care if you think it’s crazy. If he did, he would stop saying such wild things in front of media members.
That is part of his charm. He believes it, and the charm lies in the fact that he doesn’t care if you do or not.
Now, cue up IsMullenLeaving.com and HasMSUWonAChampionshipYet.com.
Man, you had me anticipating a new Mullen quote… but the most recent is from weeks ago? Guess the title gets the clicks!
I like Mullen being passionate and putting it out there for everyone to poke fun at. He may put a (well dressed) foot in the mouth occasionally, but I’d much rather have it that way than someone eerily quiet. MSU and MSU fans for the most part love him. I’m glad he has said he wants and expects to win a championship at MSU. In just a few years, he managed to put the program in the national spotlight and discussion for just that. I’m happy to grant him as much time as that takes so long as we continue to have largely successful seasons.
Agreed on all fronts. I think we’ll have a better season than most seem to think this year (I’m calling eight wins) and the class for 2017 is looking great so far.
One of the unintended byproducts of hiring him was the allergic reactions he gets from Ole Miss fans.
I hope he does stay there forever! More golden eggs for the Rebs!
Are you counting the last couple that were bought? Will you still count them if they are forfeited?
Either way, I’m happy with his record, egg bowls and all.
Well his record against ranked teams and teams with a winning record is really bad.
I personally dont like Mullen but he doesnt lose games he should win but he rarely beats good teams.
So you’re saying he’s made huge progress compared to the years and years before him, but still has room to improve? Stop, you’re breaking my heart.
Funny, but Dan is 4-3 against OM… OM needs a new mathematics department.
This rivalry has almost gotten boring. We look forward now to the Alabama game now on Sept. 17th. But anyway, bring it Bull Pups to Vaught Hemingway on November 26th for your 3rd loss in 3 years. HOTTY TODDY
The bad thing about the series lately is that there has only been one really good game. They have mostly been decided by halftime,
That is really true. It feels like the 6 years I have been at State (BS and MS, I’m not that stupid) we have only had one superb game and it was only really good if you were a State fan. Both teams have been playing an overall better season, especially the last few years so there is a lot of hype. Then at game time one team usually just doesn’t play that well. The only year I really remember thinking, hey this team really showed up today was I believe ’14 when Ole Miss looked really sharp against us. The other games it was just felt like one team should’ve put the other one away but couldn’t like in ’13.
The games weren’t horrible, and I am not second guessing the player’s effort on the field. There has just been an awful lot of hype to not turn out to be a really incredible game.
My original comment has gone to die ‘awaiting moderation’. If this is the same guy the writes for the Journal, we get it, you’re an OM homer. Bite me. Hail State.
Mullen is not saying anything off color or vulnerable. Those OMiss responses seem more afraid of Mullen, and ‘not ready-for-prime-time’ comedy. Everyone outside of Mississippi is reading these against the recent background of OMiss program acqusations. Just my opinion but OMiss has to hope they won’t be forfeiting 4 years of wins to everyone in the NCAA. Even if the NCAA doesn’t find a gun behind the smoke, we are talking about a program that has student athletes falling out of hotel windows and a lot more. I don’t think they can win a battle of wits while spotting everyone else those kind of head starts.
Your school shouldn’t be in the SEC. Please leave this site. Thanks. MSU fans suck but they at least belong in this conference. You’re a northern school with PC students that ran off a great coach because he was scared of offending minorities. I’d be ashamed to be a fan of Mizzou.
Whoa, whoa, whoa there, ColRebForever,,,, Who are you to call another team too PC? You lost/gave up you mascot, deleted a line from school song, gave up your flag… I am no Mizzou fan, but please, for the love of God, please stop making it easy for other states to think Mississippi is full of uneducated white-trash rednecks.
Rivalry aside… that was just uncalled for.