Gruden gives Croom a shoutout on MNF

[SailingDawg]

...says he's "been successful everywhere he's been, and still is. Former Mississippi State head coach."

[Dallas_Dawg]

He drunk?

[Todd4State]

He's a good NFL running back coach. Good SEC head coach- no.

[Commercecomet24]

I believe Croom has a good history as a position coach, mostly rbs, as an sec head coach not so much.

[gravedigger]

...says he's "been successful everywhere he's been, and still is. Former Mississippi State head coach."

I wish more state fans would understand that his time at State was to perform a complete colon cleaning of our program. We were a disaster in every sense. It required we run off a number of players. It required we change complete direction. We all hated the performance and the lack of production. But those results were due to the spiraling 2001 through 2003 seasons.

He was no head coach. But he reset the program when it needed it.

Now don?t think I hated Jackie. Loved him. But a lack of leadership at the top killed our program. Croom takes the blame for it all and it?s crap.

[RocketDawg]

...says he's "been successful everywhere he's been, and still is. Former Mississippi State head coach."

But he added after a pause ... "with running backs". I think he was trying to backtrack a bit on his statement of success everywhere he's been, i.e., at MSU.

[Todd4State]

I wish more state fans would understand that his time at State was to perform a complete colon cleaning of our program. We were a disaster in every sense. It required we run off a number of players. It required we change complete direction. We all hated the performance and the lack of production. But those results were due to the spiraling 2001 through 2003 seasons.

He was no head coach. But he reset the program when it needed it.

Now don?t think I hated Jackie. Loved him. But a lack of leadership at the top killed our program. Croom takes the blame for it all and it?s crap.

It is what it is. I wanted to see him succeed and supported him as much as anyone but he wasn't able to do it. 2007 was a fun season- lucky or not.

[Reason2succeed]

Thank God he wouldn't fire McCorvey. We might have been stuck with him for years.

[Bodaski]

I wish more state fans would understand that his time at State was to perform a complete colon cleaning of our program. We were a disaster in every sense. It required we run off a number of players. It required we change complete direction. We all hated the performance and the lack of production. But those results were due to the spiraling 2001 through 2003 seasons.

He was no head coach. But he reset the program when it needed it.

Now don?t think I hated Jackie. Loved him. But a lack of leadership at the top killed our program. Croom takes the blame for it all and it?s crap.

Digger you are correct. Hiring Croom did several things and the hire was calculated through the conference office with Slive very much involved. It helped with the penalty phase from the NCAA. It also opened the door for the SEC by hiring a black head coach. Under the circumstances Sly Croom did a pretty good job. A lot of our fans didn't have a clue what Croom was having to deal with. OM just fired Cutcliff because he wouldn't march to the "network's plan." In comes Orgeron and the tactics of the network was off and running. Sly Croom didn't have a chance in hell of being successful. Templeton was loosing support right and left under the general, who eventually fired him and hired Bryne. In summation. Sly probably kept us above ground about as good as anyone could under the circumstances.

[Perpetual Underachiever]

Still doesn't know how to wear a hat.

[Howboutdemdogs]

I got to meet Croom several times fling in and out of GTR. He was a class act and his conviction for acting right was so very strong. Yes, he was not a SEC coach, or at least st State. But he was a teacher of how to be a respectable young man! We needed him at that time in our program.

[Howboutdemdogs]

Damn the spell check on the iPad. Sorry, but you can figure it out.

[Commercecomet24]

I got to meet Croom several times fling in and out of GTR. He was a class act and his conviction for acting right was so very strong. Yes, he was not a SEC coach, or at least st State. But he was a teacher of how to be a respectable young man! We needed him at that time in our program.

Absolutely right about his character and integrity. He is a man of values and high standards. Just couldnt get it done on the field. I respect the heck out of him for cleaning up a tough situation. He is a heck of a rb coach.

[msbulldog]

I always loved the stories about his first season, about the bus pulling up at the athletic dorm on Sunday morning. You could either get on the bus and go to church or you could go to the football meeting.......at the track. And how the coaches went to all the players classes on the first day to make sure that not only were they all there on time, but they all better be sitting on the 1st row. He is a good man.

[fader2103]

One thing for Croom was that he could pull off a big upset, on the flip side he would get upset by a no name team also. I will remember his first game here vs. Tulane I always said There wasn't a team in the nation that would of beat us that night. Croom did have a way of getting the most out of his players when the television lights came on.

[thf24]

One thing for Croom was that he could pull off a big upset, on the flip side he would get upset by a no name team also. I will remember his first game here vs. Tulane I always said There wasn't a team in the nation that would of beat us that night. Croom did have a way of getting the most out of his players when the television lights came on.

Who did Croom ever upset that was actually a good team? At a glance, the best upset win I can see is over an 8-4 Kentucky team in '07. It's not saying a lot if your signature upsets are over 6 or 7 win Bama and Florida teams, regardless of the name.

[thf24]

...says he's "been successful everywhere he's been, and still is. Former Mississippi State head coach."

In fairness, he added "...with running backs" after a pause to the "successful everywhere he's been" comment.

[Bully13]

I would have loved nothing more than him being successful and still here. he just didn't have it and that's too bad imo. Woulda been a great deal for all parties as far as I'm concerned.

[TrapGame]

I'm sorry. I guess I'm in the minority that thinks Croom did more harm than good. That was a wasted five years.

[Roy Munson]

I wish more state fans would understand that his time at State was to perform a complete colon cleaning of our program. We were a disaster in every sense. It required we run off a number of players. It required we change complete direction. We all hated the performance and the lack of production. But those results were due to the spiraling 2001 through 2003 seasons.

He was no head coach. But he reset the program when it needed it.

Now don?t think I hated Jackie. Loved him. But a lack of leadership at the top killed our program. Croom takes the blame for it all and it?s crap.

This is such BS. I think Croom USA s was a good man, but we could have paid a counselor a tenth of what we paid him. The clean the program narrative is what is BS. Look at the arrests while he was here. It?s more than any other coach. We had a player fire a gun at a vehicle on campus under his watch for Pete?s sake. Revisionist history on the clean the program bullshit.

I wanted more than anything for that guy to succeed. He was stubborn to a fault and admittedly hired people based on skin color vs accomplishments or competence. Unfortunately Incompetence and stubbornness was his downfall, not circumstance.

[Bully13]

I'm sorry. I guess I'm in the minority that thinks Croom did more harm than good. That was a wasted five years.

Yep. we did a poor job in the evaluation and selection process. we could have had a much more competent head coach that still could have accomplished all the "house cleaning".

[sleepy dawg]

But he added after a pause ... "with running backs". I think he was trying to backtrack a bit on his statement of success everywhere he's been, i.e., at MSU.

I came in here to add this statement. OP left out this critical piece of the quote.

[Jack Lambert]

I wish more state fans would understand that his time at State was to perform a complete colon cleaning of our program. We were a disaster in every sense. It required we run off a number of players. It required we change complete direction. We all hated the performance and the lack of production. But those results were due to the spiraling 2001 through 2003 seasons.

He was no head coach. But he reset the program when it needed it.

Now don?t think I hated Jackie. Loved him. But a lack of leadership at the top killed our program. Croom takes the blame for it all and it?s crap.

Got rich doing it.

[War Machine Dawg]

Yep. we did a poor job in the evaluation and selection process. we could have had a much more competent head coach that still could have accomplished all the "house cleaning".

We could have had Jimbo Fisher with Muschamp as his DC. Hiring Crxxm over that pair should have resulted in the immediate termination of LT.

[Homedawg]

We could have had Jimbo Fisher with Muschamp as his DC. Hiring Crxxm over that pair should have resulted in the immediate termination of LT.

First, Jimbo wasn't a sure thing to take the job anyway. Second, who in their right mind thinks Muschamp was leaving Saban to come here in a lateral move. Wrong. Just plain wrong.......

[Homedawg]

We could have had Jimbo Fisher with Muschamp as his DC. Hiring Crxxm over that pair should have resulted in the immediate termination of LT.

Duplicate

[drunkernhelldawg]

Glad to see that people are looking at Coach Croom in context. Good to see the vitriol gone. I liked Croom and think he did a decent job. Every team that beat us in his last season went to a bowl, including La Tech. Him running off the field carrying that huge MSU flag after beating Ole Miss will always be a great moment for me.

People who say he was a wasted five years should maybe make a comment about the three years before he came.

[TrapGame]

First, Jimbo wasn't a sure thing to take the job anyway. Second, who in their right mind thinks Muschamp was leaving Saban to come here in a lateral move. Wrong. Just plain wrong.......

Nope. Jimbo was begging for the job and was bringing Muschamp. That is directly from his sister in law that was a member of Gene's Page on the premium board.

We could have had Jimbo effing Fisher as head coach with Muschamp as DC. LT chose to appease the NCAA since we were looking at probation. Jimbo would have taken anyway! He wanted an SEC job!

[TrapGame]

Glad to see that people are looking at Coach Croom in context. Good to see the vitriol gone. I liked Croom and think he did a decent job. Every team that beat us in his last season went to a bowl, including La Tech. Him running off the field carrying that huge MSU flag after beating Ole Miss will always be a great moment for me.

People who say he was a wasted five years should maybe make a comment about the three years before he came.

That three years was crap added to five years of crap..so yeah...eight years of crap.

[Homedawg]

Nope. Jimbo was begging for the job and was bringing Muschamp. That is directly from his sister in law that was a member of Gene's Page on the premium board.

We could have had Jimbo effing Fisher as head coach with Muschamp as DC. LT chose to appease the NCAA since we were looking at probation. Jimbo would have taken anyway! He wanted an SEC job!

Oh well, that does it, the ole sister in law!!! Hahaha

[TrapGame]

Oh well, that does it, the ole sister in law!!! Hahaha

I'll stick by what she said.

[Memphisbulldog]

Nope. Jimbo was begging for the job and was bringing Muschamp. That is directly from his sister in law that was a member of Gene's Page on the premium board.

We could have had Jimbo effing Fisher as head coach with Muschamp as DC. LT chose to appease the NCAA since we were looking at probation. Jimbo would have taken anyway! He wanted an SEC job!

Partially right. I know someone closer to the situation than his sister in law. For real. We wanted Jimbo but Saban would not let us talk to him until after his January bowl. No distractions. MSU could not really chance waiting until then to hire but was leaning toward waiting. However, they needed a "Plan B" as a fall back plan. They kept interviewing. Interviewed Croom. Was not going to offer unless Jimbo declined in January. Media report came out saying we had reached agreement with Croom. Not true. To save face, Jimbo pulled his name, which is pretty common. Templeton was asked about Jimbo pulling his name at the Egg Bowl on national TV. He said that was the first he heard of it. Within days, he offered Croom. Yes, I think Jimbo would have taken the job. That's the way the deal went down. For a fact.