We just have to accept fact in recruiting

[ATTILLA THE DOG]

Mullen is a 6-6 coach and a poor recruiter,who struck gold with DAK and had two very good years.He has peaked at State(not calling for him to be fired) but it is what it is.We give him top 15-20 pay yet we dont get top 15-20 results,we could do better imo.

[BB30]

Mullen is a 6-6 coach and a poor recruiter,who struck gold with DAK and had two very good years.He has peaked at State(not calling for him to be fired) but it is what it is.We give him top 15-20 pay yet we dont get top 15-20 results,we could do better imo.

He has won 9+ just as much as he has won 6 or less. Hell we went 9-4 his second season. Problem is if we get rid of Dan while he is still winning, we won't be able to throw the entire checkbook at a new guy. He will unfortunately have to lose a couple of years in a row for us to have a chance to land a decent coach. Perception is reality in some instances and our program is too big to be a stepping stone as a HC and not quite elite enough to be a place where you have an excellent chance of winning a NC. Any up and coming coach knows that they can stay where they are at a mid major win a bunch of games and make a jump to a USC, Bama, LSU, UF type program where they have a better chance to win a NC. If you look at our coaching history several of our most successful coaches were retreads at the end of their career, Sherrill etc. We got lucky with Mullen and I truly believe he thought he could come here and win the SEC, he was young, cocky, and arrogant but also busted his a** the first few years. I think he thought he would ride Dak's coat tails out of Starkville to a big time job and it didn't happen so he will have to refocus and win big if he wants to make a move. If he leaves for a Maryland type of job he will be starting over.

Best case scenario for us is he pulls something out of his a** gets us to an SEC championship or wins a major bowl, takes a big time job and proves you can win here. Otherwise we will have a hard time hiring a stud coach IMO. Any other way he leaves it will look bad for us. Most view him as a heck of a coach that has accomplished what nobody else has at State. If he loses people will think it just can't be done here and if we fire him they will think we are crazy and should lower our expectations.

[dawgday166]

He has won 9+ just as much as he has won 6 or less. Hell we went 9-4 his second season. Problem is if we get rid of Dan while he is still winning, we won't be able to throw the entire checkbook at a new guy. He will unfortunately have to lose a couple of years in a row for us to have a chance to land a decent coach. Perception is reality in some instances and our program is too big to be a stepping stone as a HC and not quite elite enough to be a place where you have an excellent chance of winning a NC. Any up and coming coach knows that they can stay where they are at a mid major win a bunch of games and make a jump to a USC, Bama, LSU, UF type program where they have a better chance to win a NC. If you look at our coaching history several of our most successful coaches were retreads at the end of their career, Sherrill etc. We got lucky with Mullen and I truly believe he thought he could come here and win the SEC, he was young, cocky, and arrogant but also busted his a** the first few years. I think he thought he would ride Dak's coat tails out of Starkville to a big time job and it didn't happen so he will have to refocus and win big if he wants to make a move. If he leaves for a Maryland type of job he will be starting over.

Not entirely accurate. Throwing out bowl games he's had 2 - 5 win seasons, 2 - 6 win seasons, 3 - 8 win seasons and 1 - 10 win season.

[lamont]

Not entirely accurate. Throwing out bowl games he's had 2 - 5 win seasons, 2 - 6 win seasons, 3 - 8 win seasons and 1 - 10 win season.

Exactly- this is how you measure your program. Going 6-6 and getting to play Rice in a bowl game or 5-7 to play a team half our fanbase didn't know was D-1 for easy wins doesn't really tell the story.

We are a 6-8 win program under Mullen. And we have to accept that

[Really Clark?]

Mullen is a 6-6 coach and a poor recruiter,who struck gold with DAK and had two very good years.He has peaked at State(not calling for him to be fired) but it is what it is.We give him top 15-20 pay yet we dont get top 15-20 results,we could do better imo.

He also won 9 games with Relf and 8 with Tyler. It wasn't just Dak, who he developed. Throw out the first year setting up the program and he averages 8 wins a year for the last 7 years. He is better than a 6-6 coach

[HancockCountyDog]

He also won 9 games with Relf and 8 with Tyler. It wasn't just Dak, who he developed. Throw out the first year setting up the program and he averages 8 wins a year for the last 7 years. He is better than a 6-6 coach

That 2010 team that won 9 had 7 NFL players on the defense 3 all pros. None of whom committed to Mullen. He deserves every inch of credit for developing Dak and especially Fitz who I don't think has as much raw material as Dak, but Dan has turned into an ALL SEC caliber QB.

In fact, if we could just have Dan develop QB's and run the offense, let someone else run the defense, and most importantly let someone else do the recruiting, we would have a top 15 program.

[Really Clark?]

That 2010 team that won 9 had 7 NFL players on the defense 3 all pros. None of whom committed to Mullen. He deserves every inch of credit for developing Dak and especially Fitz who I don't think has as much raw material as Dak, but Dan has turned into an ALL SEC caliber QB.

In fact, if we could just have Dan develop QB's and run the offense, let someone else run the defense, and most importantly let someone else do the recruiting, we would have a top 15 program.

He also developed Relf and Tyler who helped get those wins. That defense did have those players but other than Cox the rest were underrated and raw and Dan developed them as well. It wasn't like the defense was elite when he arrived with highly rated talent and just offense needed fixing. He had to overhaul the whole program for

[smootness]

I think a team that is decently talented and works as hard as they can, combined with great QBs, is a pretty good recipe for a program like ours. It won't keep you consistently at the top, but what formula will here? It will give you years like 2014 every few years or so, and I am fine with that. We'll have a chance to really compete here and there.

[dawgday166]

He also won 9 games with Relf and 8 with Tyler. It wasn't just Dak, who he developed. Throw out the first year setting up the program and he averages 8 wins a year for the last 7 years. He is better than a 6-6 coach

He averages 7 not counting some cake bowl games added in. And that's with a cake OOC schedule too.

[Really Clark?]

He averages 7 not counting some cake bowl games added in. And that's with a cake OOC schedule too.

He averages 8, you count every game. The reason is if he had lost every bowl you damn sure would count it against him. And the bowl games count in the rankings. It's 8 his last 7 years.

[ATTILLA THE DOG]

He also won 9 games with Relf and 8 with Tyler. It wasn't just Dak, who he developed. Throw out the first year setting up the program and he averages 8 wins a year for the last 7 years. He is better than a 6-6 coach

I don't want Mullen fired,but he is paid top 15-20 type money and does not produce those results.I dont expect us to out recruit bama,lsu type programs,i know that will never happen.I just think we could and should do better than we do.

[dawgday166]

He also won 9 games with Relf and 8 with Tyler. It wasn't just Dak, who he developed. Throw out the first year setting up the program and he averages 8 wins a year for the last 7 years. He is better than a 6-6 coach

Yea ... he "developed them":

2010 - 42 in total O (not bad with Relf I will admit)
2011 - 84
2012 - 80
2013 - 42

ETA: We won with defense those years ... despite the propaganda. Go look at the D rankings.

[Really Clark?]

Yea ... he "developed them":

2010 - 42 in total O (not bad with Relf I will admit)
2011 - 84
2012 - 80
2013 - 42

I said QB's. Read

[fader2103]

Now I remember when I was a junior and senior in high school. I didn't get any offers. I did get recruiting letters just because my name in the program had a JR. SR. beside it haha. I agree we need to make our program look sexy especially coming off many bowl appearances, #1 ranking a few years back, and we can make you succeed in the NFL, not just get there.

[dawgday166]

Results on the field are what matter most to me. 2018 -- if we finish worse than 3rd in west and we don't beat at least 4 west teams, then IMO it's time. And both offense and defense should be ranked in top 25 in almost all statistical categories. We got a hotshot O coordinator and a hotshot D coordinator. I definitely wanna see an offense in top 20 - 25.

[BrunswickDawg]

This regime under Mullen- no matter what assistants we hire- is always going to be a 20-30 recruiter. After 8 years, we have all the evidence we need. OM is down and struggling so what happens? Do we lock the state of Mississippi down? No. Louisville and LSU are going to poach the top 10.

Why? Because of our pitch to recruits. We preach hard work, busting your ass, lunch pail mentality. We don't kiss much of those 18 year old asses. We don't do glitz or glam. That's all well and good in pro football- but when you are selling your program- you have to put as much lipstick on that pig as you possibly can. 18 year old kids don't want to hear about hard work and how nothing is going to be given to them. You have to lie and make promises you can't keep. Recruiting is just a dirty business.

We pull in some good players- but we will never have the depth or complete team necessary to do anything big. Mullen is Stands without the severe discipline problems and drama. And that's ok I guess. Climbing the SEC mountain is a lot harder in football than basketball.

Personally, I'm OK with that. Do we really want to be Ole Miss or Auburn? Cheat like mf's, have high drama surrounding our program at all times, have inconsistent seasons based on who gets jailed, quits, or gets processed? I don't. I don't have any illusions or delusions that begin able to challenge for an SEC title every year can be a reality. Go back and look at a lot of threads about our program prior to 2014 and you will see a lot of "7-8 wins on a consistent basis, 9 every few, and everything coming together for a run at 10 or more every 6-7 years and I'd be happy." Of course, that went out the window as soon as we challenged for the West in '14.

My check marks for the program are:
1) Are we a competitive team year in, year out?
2) Are we graduating our players?
3) Are we producing pros?
4) Are actions of our players/coaches/admin embarrassing us on the national stage?
5) Am I willing to put my time and money into travelling 10 hours to see the team or go to the closest away games when possible?

I could give two shits about where Mullen interviews, what our recruiting rankings are, or which prima donna HS kid turned us down as long as those things are being met. It's ****ing football, there is more to life.

[AROB44]

Personally, I'm OK with that. Do we really want to be Ole Miss or Auburn? Cheat like mf's, have high drama surrounding our program at all times, have inconsistent seasons based on who gets jailed, quits, or gets processed? I don't. I don't have any illusions or delusions that begin able to challenge for an SEC title every year can be a reality. Go back and look at a lot of threads about our program prior to 2014 and you will see a lot of "7-8 wins on a consistent basis, 9 every few, and everything coming together for a run at 10 or more every 6-7 years and I'd be happy." Of course, that went out the window as soon as we challenged for the West in '14.

My check marks for the program are:
1) Are we a competitive team year in, year out?
2) Are we graduating our players?
3) Are we producing pros?
4) Are actions of our players/coaches/admin embarrassing us on the national stage?
5) Am I willing to put my time and money into travelling 10 hours to see the team or go to the closest away games when possible?

I could give two shits about where Mullen interviews, what our recruiting rankings are, or which prima donna HS kid turned us down as long as those things are being met. It's ****ing football, there is more to life.

Exactly....+1

[I seen it dawg]

We don't work hard enough at it. It's really very simple.

[HoopsDawg]

We don't work hard enough at it. It's really very simple.

Thank you. Don't make it something it's not. We need staff members that are passionate about recruiting. You can't have that developmental program mentality on the recruiting trail. It's 24/7, 365.

[I seen it dawg]

Sorry but Mullen is a great QB coach and keeper of a program. Keeps discipline in line and guys graduating. Everything else he's just meh. Just a guy.