Mullen on DC Todd Grantham: Not just a fiery competitor, he’s a mentor to young players
When you think of Todd Grantham, it’s hard not to think of the defensive coordinator’s sideline antics, some of which would put Will Muschamp and Butch Jones to shame. If you fit into that category, you aren’t alone, as Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen admits that’s how he perceived Grantham prior to hiring him this offseason.
However, after a few months of getting to know the former Louisville and Georgia defensive coordinator, Mullen’s opinion has drastically shifted on Grantham.
“I loved the fire and the energy and the passion he had but when you met him and you realize that’s the competitive spirit coming out of him on gameday. Him as a teacher, him as an instructor, it’s slightly different,” Mullen said during his Tuesday press conference. “Our players on a daily basis see someone who is an excellent football coach that understands the game and knows how to teach guys to put them in the right position.”
Here’s the full segment on Mullen discussing Grantham from Mississippi State’s fall camp opening press conference.
The second-longest tenured head coach in the SEC, @CoachDanMullen talks about Defensive Coordinator @CoachTGrantham #HailState pic.twitter.com/8fjzkxQyMt
— MSU Football 🏈 (@HailStateFB) July 25, 2017
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com