1st 7 years as HC. Would you take him?

[grinnindawg]

9-2
6-5
6-6
7-5
6-6
9-2
8-4

[SDDawg]

Depends on the schedule and the wins.

[JohnnyQuid]

Depends on the schedule and the wins.

was thinking same thing, depends on the competition. was this in the SEC or cusa.

[BrunswickDawg]

Or the school - am I Bama or Vandy?

[Really Clark?]

You forgot to mention the gap between year 1 and 2 and the tie in the second year. Since I know who you are talking about and where he was when he got those numbers the answer is yes, I would.

[Blackout]

Its Saban and it's a stupid point. Mullen ain't Saban my friend.

[Really Clark?]

Those are Saban's numbers at Toledo for one year, then Michigan State starting the second year through year 5. The last two years are at LSU.

[Really Clark?]

Its Saban and it's a stupid point. Mullen ain't Saban my friend.

You think those numbers at Michigan State are better than what Mullen has done here during the SEC West's historic run?

[SDDawg]

Saban is a great coach. I don't think you can judge by wins and losses alone, you have to look at the whole program, recruiting, their schedule and how competitive they were. Saban was beating Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame during those years, including some of the weaker seasons. If Dan was 7 - 5 every year since he had been here but owned Bama and LSU, he would already be gone.

[grinnindawg]

No it's not.

No he isn't, but he's been successful at MSU.

A rarity we should be thankful for.

[SDDawg]

You think those numbers at Michigan State are better than what Mullen has done here during the SEC West's historic run?

When you look at who he beat, I think you could make the case pretty easily.

[Really Clark?]

I've always liked looking up these numbers for comparison and historic reference. Here is one. Early 80's two schools one a mid level Power 5 for five years and last two a national power.

7-4
3-7-1
7-5
4-5-2
8-4
8-5
10-2

[grinnindawg]

Yep.

The next 2 years at LSU saban was 10-3 and 8-5.
Guess they should've fired him after year 9.

[Really Clark?]

When you look at who he beat, I think you could make the case pretty easily.

He beat a 11-1 Ohio State team early which was a great win. Who else? A 10-2 Michigan team his last year when they both were undefeated? Then lose the next two games back to back as favorites and when he was a #5 and then #11. 2-3 against Michigan rival with bad losses to losing teams offset some of that as well. Losing Northwestern team. Losing CUSA Lousiville team. Lost to a 4 win Wisconsin team, Tie to a 4 win Purdue team.

ETA. When you consider Michigan State historically had at least .100 percentage points higher win totals when he came in compared to our floor and were already a about .500 team prior to his arrival his first 4 years were not that big of a jump.

[grinnindawg]

no idea

frank beamer
2-9
3-8
6-4-1
6-5
5-6
2-8-1
9-3

[SDDawg]

He beat a 11-1 Ohio State team early which was a great win. Who else? A 10-2 Michigan team his last year when they both were undefeated? Then lose the next two games back to back as favorites and when he was a #5 and then #11. 2-3 against Michigan rival with bad losses to losing teams offset some of that as well. Losing Northwestern team. Losing CUSA Lousiville team. Lost to a 4 win Wisconsin team, Tie to a 4 win Purdue team.

This is the thing about Mullen that's actually very interesting. His record is darn near impeccable against bad teams. He doesn't lose to them. He beats everyone he's supposed to beat. The problem is, he almost never beats anyone he isn't supposed to. I am not complaining, I'm just staying that the OM dynamic is an interesting contrast. They can live with losing to a decent Memphis team because they beat Bama. They beat LSU, so they can more easily tolerate a fluke loss to Arkansas or their meltdown at Florida. How would our fans feel if we had lost to Kentucky and to Mizzou this year, but beaten Bama and Ole Miss? Interesting scenario to consider...

[Really Clark?]

Saban is a great coach. I don't think you can judge by wins and losses alone, you have to look at the whole program, recruiting, their schedule and how competitive they were. Saban was beating Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame during those years, including some of the weaker seasons. If Dan was 7 - 5 every year since he had been here but owned Bama and LSU, he would already be gone.

He beat a 7-6, 9-3, and 5-7 Notre Dame teams. One good team. 2-3 against Michigan and Ohio State. One great OSU win and one that was 6-6 those happened his last two years. His last year he beat both Michigan and Ohio State with his best team. 6-6 OSU and 10-2 Michigan. Prior to that only one win over those teams. He had some better wins. I grant you but some of those losses and the back to back beat downs after he beat Michigan in 1999 when they both were undefeated were bad. (52-28 and 40-10) Prior to 1999 there were several rumblings that he wasn't cutting it there and some really bad defensive showings from a defensive guru. Everything was not smooth at MSU.

[Really Clark?]

This is the thing about Mullen that's actually very interesting. His record is darn near impeccable against bad teams. He doesn't lose to them. He beats everyone he's supposed to beat. The problem is, he almost never beats anyone he isn't supposed to. I am not complaining, I'm just staying that the OM dynamic is an interesting contrast. They can live with losing to a decent Memphis team because they beat Bama. They beat LSU, so they can more easily tolerate a fluke loss to Arkansas or their meltdown at Florida. How would our fans feel if we had lost to Kentucky and to Mizzou this year, but beaten Bama and Ole Miss? Interesting scenario to consider...

I agree. And as consistant as our teams have been against equal or lesser opponents, you would suspect at least a few more upsets. I think last year gets down played because of those teams final records. I think you have to consider what losing to us last year deflated those teams momentum to cause of that afterward. And the fact that we have to play more 10+ win teams the last 7 years than Saban did in 10 of his including his LSU years. 2010-2013 was historic for a conference much less one division. That competition has never been seen in one division before. May never see it again.

[Really Clark?]

I've always liked looking up these numbers for comparison and historic reference. Here is one. Early 80's two schools one a mid level Power 5 for five years and last two a national power.

7-4
3-7-1
7-5
4-5-2
8-4
8-5
10-2

I know most won't care but that record above is for Jimmy Johnson. The first 5 years at Oklahoma State then his first two at Miami. He was a great coach but how many would frown if we hired a coach to this school with that kind of record he had at OK State.

[BrunswickDawg]

I agree. And as consistant as our teams have been against equal or lesser opponents, you would suspect at least a few more upsets. I think last year gets down played because of those teams final records. I think you have to consider what losing to us last year deflated those teams momentum to cause of that afterward. And the fact that we have to play more 10+ win teams the last 7 years than Saban did in 10 of his including his LSU years. 2010-2013 was historic for a conference much less one division. That competition has never been seen in one division before. May never see it again.

I know people like to dismiss 2013 a crappy year - but we played 7 10 win teams and a 9 win team in 13 games. That is unreal.

[smootness]

This is the thing about Mullen that's actually very interesting. His record is darn near impeccable against bad teams. He doesn't lose to them. He beats everyone he's supposed to beat. The problem is, he almost never beats anyone he isn't supposed to. I am not complaining, I'm just staying that the OM dynamic is an interesting contrast. They can live with losing to a decent Memphis team because they beat Bama. They beat LSU, so they can more easily tolerate a fluke loss to Arkansas or their meltdown at Florida. How would our fans feel if we had lost to Kentucky and to Mizzou this year, but beaten Bama and Ole Miss? Interesting scenario to consider...

Our fans would be raising absolute hell because we were able to beat Bama and Ole Miss yet completely screwed the pooch against UK and Missouri. Mullen wouldn't be getting any more of a pass, I assure you.

[SDDawg]

I know people like to dismiss 2013 a crappy year - but we played 7 10 win teams and a 9 win team in 13 games. That is unreal.

That and the injuries and bad luck. I loved that team, tons of heart.

[SDDawg]

Our fans would be raising absolute hell because we were able to beat Bama and Ole Miss yet completely screwed the pooch against UK and Missouri. Mullen wouldn't be getting any more of a pass, I assure you.

You could be right, but no one would say Dan can't win the big games either. It's an interesting contrast with Freeze, who I don't think much of as a coach. Is it motivation - can Dan rally our guys for a really big game? We saw a few last year, I want to see more though.

[Really Clark?]

I know people like to dismiss 2013 a crappy year - but we played 7 10 win teams and a 9 win team in 13 games. That is unreal.

Did Saban even play that many 10 win teams while at MSU for 5 years? I'm not sure, if he did it wasn't that many over that number. 2010 we had 4 10 win teams just in our division and from 2011-2013 3 10 win teams just in the west. Brutal.

[smootness]

You could be right, but no one would say Dan can't win the big games either. It's an interesting contrast with Freeze, who I don't think much of as a coach. Is it motivation - can Dan rally our guys for a really big game? We saw a few last year, I want to see more though.

I don't think it's motivation, no. Part of it is the way we play...but that also contributes to us not slipping up against these mediocre teams like Ole Miss does.

While we run the spread, our offense is actually designed more like LSU and Bama (aside front this year). Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball, then try to catch them off-guard with the pass. We obviously threw it a ton this year, but even most of our passes were more like runs...short, quick passes not far from the LOS.

I would love to play like that against the weakest 6-8 teams on our schedule and then play a bit of a helter-skelter style against the top few teams, but it's tough to do that.

[SDDawg]

People say Fitz throws a great deep ball, Staley too. I wonder if we'll try to stretch the field more next year.

[Todd4State]

People say Firz throws a great deep ball, Staley too. I wonder if we'll try to stretch the field more next year.

Not with Hevesy and his o-line. We won't have enough time to throw it deep. But we'll try and get sacked.

[SDDawg]

Not with Hevesy and his o-line. We won't have enough time to throw it deep. But we'll try and get sacked.

I'm looking for improvement on the OL next year.

[TUSK]

Damn, it's come to a comparison vs My Dark Lord...?

Yikes....

[Really Clark?]

Damn, it's come to a comparison vs My Dark Lord...?

Yikes....

He was still a Sith apprentice back then. He has the full power of the dark side now.

[smootness]

People say Fitz throws a great deep ball, Staley too. I wonder if we'll try to stretch the field more next year.

I think we very well may. We'll have Donald Gray, who is a great deep threat, and we could move Ross back outside if he returns, and he is a good deep threat as well. AJ Brown would obviously help there as well.

[TUSK]

He was still a Sith apprentice back then. He has the full power of the dark side now.

strong as a garlic milkshake, my friend...

plus 1....

[Todd4State]

I'm looking for improvement on the OL next year.

I don't agree but you may very well be correct simply because the bar has been set pretty low. 12th in sacks allowed and 12th in rushing offense shouldn't be too hard to improve upon.

Biggest reason I disagree is I just don't see very much development going on and I don't see any nastiness our of our o-line whatsoever.

[smootness]

I don't agree but you may very well be correct simply because the bar has been set pretty low. 12th in sacks allowed and 12th in rushing offense shouldn't be too hard to improve upon.

Biggest reason I disagree is I just don't see very much development going on and I don't see any nastiness our of our o-line whatsoever.

This is a surprising take.

[grinnindawg]

One of the reasons Bama is successful is their fan's irrational expectations of success.
State could use a little of that.

However, what we've seen the last few days is beyond irrational.
It's whining and wishing and counterproductive.

Comparing Mullen's 1st 7 with Saban's is a way to point that out.

[grinnindawg]

Yep. The SEC West the last 7 years has been historically excellent.

And some in our fan base can't hold their water.

our OL was awful.
Yea, it was so bad this year we had the 2nd highest offensive production in school history.
We should fire the OL coach who has helped destroy the school record books in the last 2 years.
Good call.

our coach or his agent MAY have talked to a school with multiple NC in one of the glamour cities of the world.
Let's go ballistic and say he should leave or we should move on.

That is stupid.