What traits do you want to see in a head coach?

[Political Hack]

Winning and losing aside, what do you want to see from our head coach in football going forward?

This isn't a Mullen thread. Whether he's here or not, what characteristics do you want to see in our head coach?

Smart? Good ambassador? High focus on academics? Character? Killer recruiter? Are those at odds with one another? Cut throat with assistants? Stability in the staff? Intensity? Calm demeanor?

It's like build a bear, but instead you get to build a coach. I hope our administration is thinking about these things while hiring a new AD too. Personally, I want to see someone that wins consistently without the 5-star recruits in a P5 conference, or at a minimum, someone that understands how to exploit matchups when you're outmanned on the field. We have to pull upsets to win big at State. We need a coach with a proven history of knocking off the big boys. That's one trait, but I could add about 500 more I'm sure.

[blacklistedbully]

Just give me a Justin Fuente. For those who don't know...google what he has said about his opportunity at VT. He's handling it exactly the opposite way Dan did us.

Fuente said a dozen schools approached him or his representatives. He was only interested in one job - Virginia Tech.

I've admired this program from afar for many years, on television, the way the players have played, the way the fans have cheered, their traditions, the wins, the losses, the facilities, the support, the league changes, and I've always wanted to be a part of something like that, Fuente said. The thing about this job is it comes with all of those things wrapped up in a community that I cannot wait to raise my three girls in, and that was a huge contributing factor to me. I don't say that disparagingly about any place that I've ever lived. I'm just very thankful for the opportunities I've had beforehand and thankful for this opportunity.

This is absolutely the job that I was interested in. Whit is correct, I had really no interest in anything else, just this, because of what it has been and what it can be and the community that comes along with it.

[deltadawg99]

Great recruiter
Willing to change/adapt
Players coach
Holds assistants accountable, but treats them fair. Mullen throws the defense staff under the bus all the time but refuses to admit that his boys on offense ever make a mistake.
Plays the best players

[starkvegasdawg]

Great Recruiter
Doesn't ever use the word "strain"
Disciplinarian
Willing to listen to his staff
PLAYS THE BEST PLAYERS HE HAS ON ROSTER
Loyal to team / school first and country club buddies second.

[shoeless joe]

I want a coach that understands winning is a process. Occasional good results don't equal a quality program...it takes an understanding of doin the smallest things rite daily that will eventually equal positive results and a quality program. This is thing I admire most about Saban, he's process oriented.

I want a coach that players want to play for. I said in an earlier thread that miles and O have their guys ready to run through a brick wall for them. This is extremely important when you don't have equal talent.

I want a coach that can game plan around our strengths first and opponents weaknesses second. And one who allows his coordinators to do their job. Probably ******* biggest fault.

[Eric Nies Grind Time]

Adaptability is probably the best trait for a football coach at MSU.

We aren't realistically going to get top 10 classes so the talent will never be truly elite. We need a coach that is willing to think outside of the box and adapt the play style year by year according to what the talent he has dictates.

[Jack Lambert]

Main thing for me is a coach who doesn't hire buddies and keeps a professional relationship with the coaches. You need to be able to hire and fire.

[ShotgunDawg]

1. Passion for recruiting & willing to make that the number goal of his staff.

2. A QB developer. MSU will never have as much total talent as Alabama, LSU, etc, but, if we are significantly better at QB, we can beat them. Good QB play lessens the amount of positions we have to be better than the blue bloods at to win the game. This coach can't be an assistant because a quality QB developer assistant will just be hired by LSU, Alabama, Florida, or Georgia immediately. Can't build.

3. A coach that allows everyone else to do their jobs.

4. A coach that is slow to hire & quick to fire poor coaches no matter their friendship.

5. Possibly someone that already has kids graduating from high school & therefore isn't immediately looking to leave Starkville due to a limited school system. This little problem has effected in other sports more than most people know. Mullen's football skill set is perfect for MSU. We should really try to hire someone with a similar skill set but with a different personality & better social skills

Really, Dan Mullen is almost the perfect coach for MSU but he simply lacks a passion for recruiting, won't allow defensive coaches to do their jobs, & won't fire buddies.

[blacklistedbully]

1. Passion for recruiting & willing to make that the number goal of his staff.

2. A QB developer. MSU will never have as much total talent as Alabama, LSU, etc, but, if we are significantly better at QB, we can beat them. Good QB play lessens the amount of positions we have to better than the blue bloods at to win the game. This coach can't be an assistant because a quality QB developer assistant will just be hired by LSU, Alabama, Florida, or Georgia immediately. Can't build.

3. A coach that allows everyone else to do their jobs.

4. A coach that is slow to hire & quick to fire poor coaches no matter their friendship.

5. Possibly someone that already has kids graduating from high school & therefore isn't immediately looking to leave Starkville due to a limited school system. This little problem has effected in other sports more than most people know. Mullen's football skill set is perfect for MSU. We should really try to hire someone with a similar skill set but with a different personality & better social skills

Really, Dan Mullen is almost the perfect coach for MSU but he simply lacks a passion for recruiting, won't allow defensive coaches to do their jobs, & won't fire buddies.

And he doesn't appear to want to be here.

[Taog Redloh]

1) Hard old man with balls and high-T with a chip on his shoulder OR an up and coming offensive coordinator with a chip on his shoulder - chip on his shoulder is the most important part
2) Committed to exploiting the state of Mississippi's two biggest advantages - THE JUCO SYSTEM and the drive-able area around Starkville
3) Recruits as many offensive linemen as practical every year

[ShotgunDawg]

And he doesn't appear to want to be here.

That's a fickle one. I think Dan not wanting to be here is a product of an immature personality & a desire to not raise his young family in Starkville. It's OK to blame Dan for not wanting to be here, but it's even better to address the issues in Starkville & at MSU to causes someone like Dan Mullen to not want to be here.

MSU fans should worry about what they can control. We can't control Dan Mullen's thoughts & desires. What we need to do is somehow move the ball forward & try to make progress towards MSU being one of the best head coaching jobs in America.

I'd love to do an exit interview with Dan & get honest questions to the following questions:

1. Why did you want to leave MSU?
2. If Starkville is part of the reason, why? & what can MSU do to make things better?
3. What does MSU need to do make sure young coaches don't desire to use this job as a stepping stone?
4. Do you believe MSU will always be a stepping stone job & would be better off helping young coach get a better job after 5 or so years?

[TrapGame]

Smart at Xs and Os first.
Savvy recruiter second.
And third someone who finds and hires really good assistants and lets them to their jobs.

[missouridawg]

Winning and losing aside, what do you want to see from our head coach in football going forward?

This isn't a Mullen thread. Whether he's here or not, what characteristics do you want to see in our head coach?

Smart? Good ambassador? High focus on academics? Character? Killer recruiter? Are those at odds with one another? Cut throat with assistants? Stability in the staff? Intensity? Calm demeanor?

It's like build a bear, but instead you get to build a coach. I hope our administration is thinking about these things while hiring a new AD too. Personally, I want to see someone that wins consistently without the 5-star recruits in a P5 conference, or at a minimum, someone that understands how to exploit matchups when you're outmanned on the field. We have to pull upsets to win big at State. We need a coach with a proven history of knocking off the big boys. That's one trait, but I could add about 500 more I'm sure.

I'll be honest... I want a Dan Mullen who wants to be here and focuses on continuous improvement (looking at the OL and overall commitment to recruiting here). Mullen is great when he wants to be.

[blacklistedbully]

That's a fickle one. I think Dan not wanting to be here is a product of an immature personality & a desire to not raise his young family in Starkville. It's OK to blame Dan for not wanting to be here, but it's even better to address the issues in Starkville & at MSU to causes someone like Dan Mullen to not want to be here.

MSU fans should worry about what they can control. We can't control Dan Mullen's thoughts & desires. What we need to do is somehow move the ball forward & try to make progress towards MSU being one of the best head coaching jobs in America.

I'd love to do an exit interview with Dan & get honest questions to the following questions:

1. Why did you want to leave MSU?
2. If Starkville is part of the reason, why? & what can MSU do to make things better?
3. What does MSU need to do make sure young coaches don't desire to use this job as a stepping stone?
4. Do you believe MSU will always be a stepping stone job & would be better off helping young coach get a better job after 5 or so years?

If the quality of our schools is truly a concern, Dan has plenty of disposable income to hire any number of private tutors for his children to supplement their education.

[ShotgunDawg]

If the quality of our schools is truly a concern, Dan has plenty of disposable income to hire any number of private tutors for his children to supplement their education.

And he may already do that, but he may rather his kids attend a top notch private school in suburban Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, etc.....

Perhaps we are wording it wrong. I don't think Dan hates Starkville & can't bear to live there. I think it's just more of a situation where he'd rather be somewhere else. You can like going to the movies but rather be at the beach. Both can be true & one doesn't have to be sacrificed to prop the other up.

We have a situation where Dan is OK with Starkville but doesn't view MSU as a destination job. Again, MSU fans should concerns themselves with what they can control & not what they have no control over. We can't control Dan's opinion of Starkville, but what we can do is do everything we can to make MSU a destination job.

[Dawg61]

I want someone that will give us an attitude. I want to be the most physical, biggest, toughest, creative, and step on your throat for 60 minutes type of team in the SEC. I want us to intimidate everyone. I want a coach that will beat the shit outta every other coach too. One that takes it personally. I want us the be the Bullies! That feeling we all had when Auburn's Pettway was just running straight up our asses and we couldn't do a damn thing about it. That's the feeling I want to give every team every week. Pettway was just bigger, meaner and tougher than anyone on our team. I want a team of 85 Pettway's or 84 Pettway's and 1 Adam Vinatieri.

[blacklistedbully]

And he may already do that, but he may rather his kids attend a top notch private school in suburban Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, etc.....

Perhaps we are wording it wrong. I don't think Dan hates Starkville & can't bear to live there. I think it's just more of a situation where he'd rather be somewhere else. You can like going to the movies but rather be at the beach. Both can be true & one doesn't have to be sacrificed to prop the other up.

We have a situation where Dan is OK with Starkville but doesn't view MSU as a destination job. Again, MSU fans should concerns themselves with what they can control & not what they have no control over. We can't control Dan's opinion of Starkville, but what we can do is do everything we can to make MSU a destination job.

I never said Dan "hates" Starkville. I said it appears he doesn't want to be here. Whatever his reasons, if its true, it's a big problem for us because it sure looks like he allowed that to derail our progress at the most critical time in our history.

[oldtrickdawg]

All coaches need to win. That's how they earn a living.
All coaches need to recruit. That's how they earn a living.
All coaches need the best from their recruits. That's how they earn a living.
All coaches will be disadvantaged in Starkville . That's not poor mouthing; just reality..
We've had "home boys." We've had "outsiders." We've had "betweeners"...

Mostly, we need someone with enthusiasm until reality sets in , at least...

1. Just remember any established coach will have probably just been fired by somebody else .
2. Almost no young coach with a young family will have Starkville on his short list of great places to raise his family.

I do think Starkville has its advantages as a university locale..

[Dawg496]

1. RELENTLESS EFFORT
2. Gratitude
3. Great motivator
4. Great manager and leader

As far as I'm concerned he can surround himself with recruiters and Xs and O guys. We need a strong executive personality that players want to bust their ass for and can make decisions black and white without getting emotional about who his buddies are or which players have been there the longest.

[MadDawg]

Oh that's easy.

1. One that wins and never loses.

[HoopsDawg]

If the quality of our schools is truly a concern, Dan has plenty of disposable income to hire any number of private tutors for his children to supplement their education.

A Dan Mullen that can recruit. Or at least hire a staff of excellent recruiters.

[ScottH]

Good points above.

In addition to those he needs to embrace (or at least give the appearance of) the uniqueness of MSU and it's people.

At the core, I really don't know too many folks that are upset with the record or the player really.

The problem all stems from the guy annually seeking another date to the prom. Gives off the feeling he thinks he's better than us. Don't need that feeling from a 4MM a year employee.

There are going to be down years. If he's one of us figuratively) the down years will be weathered fine.

[gtowndawg]

Just give me a Justin Fuente. For those who don't know...google what he has said about his opportunity at VT. He's handling it exactly the opposite way Dan did us.

Fuente said a dozen schools approached him or his representatives. He was only interested in one job - Virginia Tech.

I've admired this program from afar for many years, on television, the way the players have played, the way the fans have cheered, their traditions, the wins, the losses, the facilities, the support, the league changes, and I've always wanted to be a part of something like that, Fuente said. The thing about this job is it comes with all of those things wrapped up in a community that I cannot wait to raise my three girls in, and that was a huge contributing factor to me. I don't say that disparagingly about any place that I've ever lived. I'm just very thankful for the opportunities I've had beforehand and thankful for this opportunity.

This is absolutely the job that I was interested in. Whit is correct, I had really no interest in anything else, just this, because of what it has been and what it can be and the community that comes along with it.

That's how you handle things. That's way over Dan's head.

[Political Hack]

Good points above.

In addition to those he needs to embrace (or at least give the appearance of) the uniqueness of MSU and it's people.

At the core, I really don't know too many folks that are upset with the record or the player really.

The problem all stems from the guy annually seeking another date to the prom. Gives off the feeling he thinks he's better than us. Don't need that feeling from a 4MM a year employee.

There are going to be down years. If he's one of us figuratively) the down years will be weathered fine.

Pretty spot on IMO. If he'd be our Frank Beamer it would be great, but he's acting more and more like Kiffin.

[blacklistedbully]

More Fuente:

BLACKSBURG, Va. - At first, Justin Fuente thought it would be easy to take everything he'd learned under head coach Gary Patterson at TCU and essentially copy-and-paste it wherever he went later.

"In my mind,? Fuente said, "it was, 'OK, we're going to plug exactly everything from TCU, in terms of how we practice, how we run off season, how we lift, into Memphis. No discussions, this is how it's going to be moving on.'

"Then you realize that that's just not going to happen. Case by case, as they come up, you tweak the way you're doing it to fit your current situation, and figure out how you want to handle it or what your team needs."

Note how Fuente realized he needed to adapt his plan...his way of thinking. He didn't stubbornly insist his way was right and its somebody else's fault if it doesn't work. He adjusted.

Fuente retained three members of Beamer's coaching staff in part to help with that continuity. Being able to retain one in particular, defensive coordinator Bud Foster, was one of the most alluring parts of the gig.

"That was a huge attraction to the job," Fuente, 40, said. "One of the many factors was that it quite possibly came with the most decorated defensive coordinator in all of America."

"But it needed to come under the right circumstances. It needed to be a healthy relationship. When Coach Foster came to visit, it was important to me that he not feel like it was an interview for the defensive coordinator job."

Fuente and Foster discussed coaching philosophies and how Fuente understood, after working under a great defensive mind like Patterson at TCU, that he would defer to Foster on that side of the ball.

"The objective is trying to win the games, not to have the most yards," Fuente said. "Part of the offense's job is to service the defense and get the defense ready for the season in terms of defending different things and making them have different conversations through spring and through fall camp."

"(During the Memphis conversation), I also let (Foster) know he was going to run the defense. I may ask questions, or want to have discussions about what we're doing personnel-wise, or scheme-wise, or whatever."

"But I believe in hiring good people and letting them do their job. That doesn't mean we can't have constructive conversations about what we're doing, and why we're doing things, but I'm going to let them go do their job."

"I'll tell you why it was helpful; it was helpful because of the way Bud is," Fuente said. "Bud's all in for Virginia Tech and doing the right thing by Virginia Tech. Certainly it's been helpful. Certainly. Not just with the players, but walking into high school for when you're going in there recruiting or whatever. In this state, you have immediate credibility when you walk in the door next to Bud Foster."

THIS is what I want in a coach.

[Ranchdawg]

I want a coach that brings absolute passion every day! Is thankful for the University that pays him approx 11k a day to coach damn football. A coach that is insanely in touch with the kids on his team. A coach that can adapt in game, to the skills of his players, adapt yearly and wise enough to know! A coach that will scheme to think outside the box and exploit opposing teams weaknesses and every team has them even Bama! A coach that doesn't have the mind set of many that we are poor ol MSU, with that mind set you are beaten before you even play the game!