MISS STATE
Dan Mullen's agent change will affect next Mississippi State AD
Mississippi State didn’t extend coach Dan Mullen’s contract heading into the 2016 season, prompting him to switch agents.
Now, as the school searches for a new athletic director following the departure of Scott Stricklin to Florida, the new hire will have to make a choice on the football coach’s future.
Mullen would be up for a two-year extension this time around, according to The Clarion-Ledger.
Mullen earned $4 million in 2015, but his Bulldogs are off to a slow start in 2016, amassing only a 2-3 record through five games.
It remains to be seen if the new athletic director and Mullen’s new agent, Jimmy Sexton, can negotiate a contract to keep the longtime coach in Starkville.
Why would it be difficult to extend his contract? Anyone not expecting some growing pains this season needs to be real with themselves, and must not have been around during the years when Memphis and Southern Miss beat Miss State like a drum.
We lost BOTH starting CBs before the season even started, have talented, but YOUNG players at QB in a very complicated offensive scheme, and a defense on their third coordinator in three years. That’s on top of being in the SEC West, with Alabama, A&M, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. Even Auburn and LSU, for all their problems, have enough talent to compensate for most of their issues.
Anyone thinking Mullen should be fired, or simply allowed to leave, is either young (you don’t remember how it used to be), or some “coat tail fad fan”. Patience is a virtue. The SEC Network is helping to even out the money field for the entire conference. Schools like Alabama are losing recruits due to being so loaded, which is allowing some 5 star, and more four star players to go to other SEC schools so they can play before their senior year. It doesn’t mean those schools are hurting for talent, but it means we are starting to see a more diverse spread of talent.
*standing applause
I’ve been around that long too. Up until that last game, I felt the same way. But watching our kids play this past weekend, I’m starting to wonder if like in Jackie’s last few games, Dan has lost his team. Several times on TV I saw guys just standing and watching, making no effort at all. My theory is that there’s an internal problem that has led us to this point. It’s Dan’s responsibility to make sure that doesn’t happen. It wouldn’t surprise me if we have packed it in for the year. We have the same quality playes (minus Dak) that we’ve had the whole time that he has been there. Yes we’ve had 3 new DC’s but that’s on Dan too.
Contract should not be extended past 2018 season. Dan Mullen is likely to be paid more than $1,000,000.00 per win this season. They will be fortunate to win 4 games with 8 losses. 2017 should be a performance year for Coach Mullen. He did not do a good job recruiting the last two years. Ask A.J. Brown. Coach Mullen did have MsSt prepared for South Alabama or Auburn. Young players picked up on Mullen’s failure to use 2 weeks to prepare for Auburn. After UMass game, he took a family trip to Dallas.
*hisses and boos
The fact that you seem to think our 2015 class was crap shows you know jack.
I’m not a State fan, so I don’t have a dog in this fight. I think this would be a terrible move not to extend his contract! Isn’t this the same coach who had Mississippi State ranked #1 for several weeks a few years ago??? Let me say that again, HE HAD MISSISSIPPI FREAKIN’ STATE RANKED #1 IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY! Now he doesn’t meet the standard? Wow, how quickly people forget. Like the first commenter, I remember when State was the laughing stock of the SEC, and everyone’s whipping boy. Going to a lower tier bowl (Independence Bowl, etc…) was a season that “surpassed expectations”. I know a lot of schools that would love to have Mullen as their HC.
*standing applause
Now that I’ve cooled off after that embarrassing loss, I’ve thought about it this whole thing more. Mullen has earned the benefit of the doubt I think. Give him another season even if we only win 1-2 more games. He’s been the best coach we’ve had I believe and he deserves a shot to prove he hasn’t totally checked out.
Mullen is a victim of his own success. The success of the program over the past few years has lead to the program being raided for an athletic director and numerous assistant coaches. This has added a great deal of difficulty in continuity of coaching and recruiting.
Before Mullen, MS State was terrible for a long time. We like to forget those 4-7 and 3-8 seasons but we’ve had a great many of them. He has restored some respect and consistency in the program. That’s why the problems this season stand out.
The SEC West is a meat-grinder. MS State isn’t one of the big rich teams that’s always in the top 25. There will be years when a team in our position just doesn’t have the horses to stay in the race.
Stay calm, have faith that the team will be better next year and enjoy the tailgating. We’ve had crap years before. We’ll have them again.
Yep, that’s true and well said. It’s easy to forget that after the past couple of years. I think 2017 will be a much better time for us. Just gotta lower our shoulder and get through this ugly season.
I’M not disagreeing with anyone specifically. And I think Mullen has earned a certain degree of patience. That said, I believe he has shown that he repeats certain trends and an inability to make the best use of limited players in several seasons. Over his tenure, he has failed to address certain failings. I think a one year extension would be better for all parties. An athletic director who can help him see problem areas would be nice. Bigger budget for assts too. Don’t forget, Sherrill had us winning and recruiting better than ever before just quit and phoned it in for three seasons. We don’t want to pull a Georgia or LSU , but we don’t want a repeat of that eight year hell.
Exactly.