Mississippi State fires head coach Joe Moorhead
UPDATE: Mississippi State has confirmed Joe Moorhead has been dismissed.
Just when it looked like the head coaching carousel in the Southeastern Conference had come to a stop, Mississippi State appears poised to kick it back into gear as Brett McMurphy of Stadium is reporting that Joe Moorhead has been fired following his team’s 38-28 loss to Louisville in the Music City Bowl.
Winning the Egg Bowl appeared to cool Moorhead’s seat in Starkville but after his starting quarterback was literally knocked out of MSU’s bowl game by a teammate during the preparation for the contest and the ensuing loss in the matchup, the coach’s status was up in the air once again at MSU.
Here’s what a source had to say about Moorhead to McMurphy:
“Coach Moorhead was a highly-respected offensive coordinator at Penn State, but as a head coach with the Bulldogs, it’s been lackluster,” a source said. “It could be the strength of the conference or even the expectations, but it clearly wasn’t clicking.”
Word began to leak on Thursday that Moorhead’s job was once again in jeopardy and now Bruce Feldman of The Athletic is reporting that prominent boosters are set to meet to discuss Moorhead’s future at Mississippi State:
“Lots of questions right now about the coaching future of Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State. I heard this morning that key MSU boosters are expected to meet tomorrow to make a decision about whether they want to move on and find a new head coach or not.”
Apparently the meeting was not even required to fire Moorhead.
This would be the first time in Mississippi State history the program fired a coach after he won the previous Egg Bowl.
Lol
Mullen spoiled the bellclangers. Now they think anyone can win in Starkville.
I’m not sure if any can win in the SEC at Miss State. Mullen was 33-39 in conference play.
ruff, keep that to yourself. Seems the Florida fans think Mullen done more with less while at Miss St.
We don’t think that, it is a fact. Moore’s early departure is more proof that it is very difficult to have MSU as a consistent competitor like Mullen did.
Mullen went 6-7 in 2016. Not stellar by anymeans
2014 is the only year that Mullen had a winning record in conference play. His wins mostly came at the expense of non-conference cupcakes.
No he wasnt it.. Mullen gave him a talented roster on his way out.. A legit 10 win team and Moorehead managed to barely make a bowl last year.. He just wasnt the right fit..State needs someone familiar with SEC landscape and politics.. Idt Napier is the right guy either
Why the “hate on State”? I don’t hate LSU even though you’ve beaten us 2 out of 3 times we’ve played. Our biggest problem is being Mississippi – no 5-Stars ever want to come here.
We have no illusions of being National Champioms or really even SEC Champions. What we DON’T want to be is a doormat for the SEC like Vandy, and we don’t want a total failure as head coach no matter what we are.
State’s all time win percentage is 0.493, Vandy’s is 0.495. Who is the “doormat for the SEC”?
I can’t stop myself from raising my hand
So you’re saying you’re .002 better than the doormat?
Vandy doesn’t play in the SEC West. Suppose we’re both “doormats” – that doesn’t make the three of you any less than dog-kicking ass*oles.
Why don’t you go to the Arkansas or Vandy sections and insult them for awhile? We NEVER act that way to other teams.
@SooiieeRazorback LOL…
I know your pain, my brother….
Sorry. I don’t really hate State. My ex was a State alum, so I had to pretend to pull for State for a few years. Left a sour taste.
Well said Chittwood. No hate from me for State. It is a very difficult challenge and you have the right attitude. Moorhead wasn’t the right man (I don’t have a crystal ball either) but you’re making a bold move at this point. Shows the desire to get it right. Wishing you well with the next move.
He earned that firing. MSU is late to the table to make a coaching change. It will be interesting to see a list of prospective candidates.
They are late, but no teams we would compete for coaches with have made big moves yet. So, I think everyone who would realistically come to State is available.
*coughs* Kiffin
” no teams we would compete for coaches with have made big moves yet.”
………youre joking right? Jesus………..ok bud.
Wow and this late in the year you would have thought he was safe. I hear he can be a pretty good OC…
Coaching in the SEC can be brutal. They’re late to the coaching search, so I’m curious who they’ll get to replace Moorhead.
Some coordinator is about to get a nice pay raise. I would think outside the box and maybe give Joe Brady his first shot at being a head coach.
I don’t think that Brady would take it. I believe that if he holds on a little he can get a better gig.
Big time programs rarely ever hire coaches without HC experience.
That is not true at all. Besides, we aren’t necessarily talking about “big time programs”.
Ouch..that hurt
Calling pass plays and running a program are two completely different things. For that matter, calling pass plays with and without Joe Burrow are likely to be two completely different things.
Yeah throwing him into a HC without even being a true OC is a bit of a stretch. I wouldn’t put it past Miss St to try though. Personally I think Brady bolts for the NFL as an OC
Exactly
Agree, think we just tried that route and didn’t work out too well (Fordham aside)
I would take Brady in a pinch.
Of course you would. But, he ain’t stupid.
We finally stepped up to ….dragging his yankee a$$ out of there!
Hey, two in a row left you!
I’m shocked
Nice how they waited til he signed his whole recruiting class then fired him. Dirt Bag way to handle the entire recruiting class. Way to go Dogs.
Meanwhile all’s quiet on the Plains? Even Tennessee wins its bowl.
I’m not too surprised
This is total Kiffin envy. Ole Miss makes a sexy hire and MSU feels plain. Neither will ever be much better than Arkansas.
Not at all. Moorhead deserved to have been fired prior to the bowl game being played.
Ouch that hurt. At least Chad is now 0-1 Auburn’s problem.
That’s exactly it. People bash Auburn as little brother, but after witnessing the relationship between the two MS schools in person over the last 3 years, I can confirm MSU is the biggest little brother syndrome school of all time. Their fans literally take it personally that other people root for Ole Miss and I’ve witnessed them talk smack to people they don’t know unprovoked, in situations that have nothing to do with football. The most memorable example being a wedding I attended with a state and Ole Miss grad marrying. Some state fan in the wedding party walks up to the family table and proceeds to talk smack. Yes-it’s that pathetic.
Every fan base has douches
Sure it is
Pretty surprising move but better late then not at all probably. he didn’t seem to be the right fit. It is late but there are still some quality lower tier HC’s available. I say lower tier, referring to the school they coach, not the coach themselves. Having the class mostly signed helps too. Most will at least give the new guy a chance I would think. They should stay in the south unless they can get a more proven coach at a P5 program and I dont see that happening. Good Luck MSU.
There are no good coaches left that State can afford. Kiffin envy and the irrational rivalry with Ole Miss has screwed them yet again.
Ah, a UT fan that is still on the lane train. Good plan canning Fulmer for Kiffin.
Nope-just a UT fan who knows admin incompetence when he sees it.
ESPN is reporting that Gene Chizik is being considered for the job. Jesus I hope they have better sense than that. Chizik had a losing record before Auburn and was hired at Auburn because he woudn’t ask questions about what the boosters did when they paid Cam Newton to go to Auburn. He’s a nice guy, but not a very good coach. Bill Clark or Bill Napier are two of the best candidates since Ole Miss had hired Kiffin. Kiffin comes with a lot of drama anyway, though.
I think either Clark or Napier would be a better fit. Chiz is fun to watch on SEC Network breaking down the Xs & Os but he would be a horrible hire.
I wonder if the Mad Hat would be interested in coaching in the SEC again?
Moorhead deserved his pink slip. Everyone is forgetting in all 12 of our losses under Moorhead, he said himself in every press conference he didn’t do a good job. That is self admission that 46% of the time you failed to achieve. There is also all the off the field problems and issues with discipline. Last night’s bowl W by UT probably didn’t help his cause either. Pruitt and company pulled out all the stops to get the win. Joe stared at the jumbotron for most of the game and did little to get a W in the 3rd or 4th Quarter. Heck my own Mom watched our bowl game and her comment was your HC looks completely lost and out of it. Thank you AD Cohen for pulling the trigger.
MSU usually puts teams on the field that play hard, defend well, and run the ball. It’s an SEC cliche that if you play MSU on Saturday you will spend a lot of time in the ice bath on Sunday. It’s a cliche because it is usually true. JoMo was heading in a different direction and I just don’t think he was ever going to recruit the skill players needed to make his plan work. It is easier to get good RBs, linebackers and interior linemen to come to Starkville as there are more of them at the 3 and 4 star level, while QBs like Burrow, Tua, and Laurence, that you need to make a high powered passing game go, are rare finds who are snapped up by the elite programs.
I love seeing all these State “fans” saying Moorhead should be fired when just two months ago they were saying I was supporting the team when I said he should have never been head coach in the first place. No wonder we are the laughing stock of the conference lol
Time to go back to the cellar. I’m hearing Sylvester Croom is available.
So we all see the coaches that are already in the West, In order for State to even make a push . They have to get a Head Coach not a OC or DC. Someone that is the same caliber as a Fisher,Orgeron,Saban,Malzahn,or even Kiffin. We have to compete not just accept a 6-8 win season. You get what you pay for$$$$
Yes, if you can afford the price.
We need a coach that focuses on us not the rest of the west. I could care less who the guy is supposed to measure up to. Is he supposed to be better than Saban? It will take a special guy to get us where we want to go. Throwing money at a coach is just throwing money at a coach.
As an OM grad who actually doesn’t hate State, I thought Moorehead was a growing disaster and the admin were probably right to pull the plug on his tenure. He was driving the program into oblivion. He squandered a great team last year–should have been 9-3 at least. But lackluster bowl performances and no apparent program oversight. (BTW, GADawg is wrong about South Carolina–Lou Holtz’s record was just as good as Superior’s.) It’s a silly fetish when folks start talking about a program’s success is good for CFB, or so and so is an upstart, or so and so is never going to be great. What was FSU before Bowden, or Miami before Schnellenberger? Where are they now? How about ND? USC? At least State’s admin will not allow another lackluster year for a $3+M coach. Moorehead and his family will be fine. He added nothing of value. Just like Luke at OM–good guy but empty stadiums and loss of fanbase are the kiss of death to a program in SEC West!