Who is MSU football

[SheltonChoked]

After reading the board this weekend, I feel we need to put out there who each of us thinks MSU football is now and what it will take for is to improve and how long that process will take.

Here is my reality.

MSU is a major university in a small town with a rural reputation in the SEC west. Not only located in the smallest population sec state, but geographically located close to Alabama, an all time top 5 football program.

Msu has a small alumni base and athletic department decisions post World War II, crippled the present. I'm convinced the administration cared at all about athletics from 1943 to 1975. Getting lucky hiring a oil salesman as a genius basketball coach in the 1950's

Msu competes in a division that contains 5 of the top 12 money earning programs in the country. Our budget has more than doubled over the past 4 years and we are still 40% behind the next team in our division.

Historically, we have played Alabama, LSU, and ole miss more than they have played anyone else. We played auburn more than anyone except UGA.

How do we change it?

1) close the money gap. Get within 5% of the rest of our division

2) hold the administration and ad accountable. Put pressure on them to improve athletics

3) get more alumni

4) get all alumni pulling the same way

If we do all of this, there is no reason we cannot compete to win SEC titles with regularity.

How long will it take to get there? well, we have made huge strides over since 1975 as an athletic department. Getting rid of the Legacy wow is me MSU fans in administation positions is a step, however I think the MSU AD office is still to incestuous. We are an SEC school we should have more grads from other schools in the AD's office. Outsiders have a different perspective and less legacy notions of " this is how it was always done".

I said all of that to say this. It's going to take time. My guess is another 10 years if everthing goes perfectly.

MSU had 20+ years of wandering in the desert (I'm honestly shocked we didn't drop sports in the 1950's) and that's still affecting us. Having a recent presidents like Potera and Lee didn't help either.

We need the SEC network to get us an additional $20-30 million a year and we need to raise another $30 million ourselves (football expansion, baseball expansion, premium baskeball seating, donations, etc.).

We have to have presidents like Dr. Z, and Keenum (so far) that understand the importance of athletics in the university.

We have to have an AD's office that is forward thinking, agressive, flexible, and strong. One that is not scared of the NCAA or the Conference office. One that understands MSU and has a vision to our future.

[smootness]

Historically, MSU is the 2nd- or 3rd-worst football program in the SEC.

That is reality.

[slickdawg]

After reading the board this weekend, I feel we need to put out there who each of us thinks MSU football is now and what it will take for is to improve and how long that process will take.

Here is my reality.


4) get all alumni pulling the same way


This one, by far.

[ShotgunDawg]

I think one thing we have to do a better job, as the MSU family, is stepping outside of our comfort zone in many areas. MSU is all about comfort and family, we hire MSU people, we are humble, and we don't like to rattle cages. If the Greg Byrne hire taught us one thing, it should have taught us that there is a great amount of value in hiring administrators from different schools and different parts of the country.

Our Athletic Department is a totem pole. To many people work there that grew up MSU fans, have never left the state of Mississippi, and don't have a big enough perspective of the country to understand where we are falling short.

MSU needs to recruit interns, associate ADs , compliance people, video board directors, band directors, etc.. from around the country and become a melting pot of great ideas rather than a hierarchy of stagnant people that never want to leave their job, have no desire to move, no desire to move, and thus no motivation to rattle cages, be aggressive, and and grow in their job performance.

[Coach34]

Historically, MSU is the 2nd- or 3rd-worst football program in the SEC.

That is reality.

all-time we are actually the worst

Last 40 years we are 3rd worst

[Political Hack]

it's not a matter of what needs to happen to gain success, it's more of an issue of maintaining success when we find it. Four bowl games in a row and beating OM 4 out of the last five would've helped tremendously but our idiot Admin got the ole' oopty oop on the schedule this year. We could've skated to six wins, now we'll have to fight, scratch, and claw to get six. Having "down years" of 6 and 7 wins is a start to building something special.

Another thing is that our success is directly tied to OM. People won't admit this. If they are succeeding at a rate equal or better than us, our fans lose interest. We graduate more people and have a higher starting salary than their graduates. That will take effect over time if we market correctly and maintain a minimum level of success. We have to beat them in recruiting MS and in money. we can't split the state on those two issues. When Mullen went after the "Our State" motto, he knew exactly what he was doing. We have to be first in Mississippi before we can be anything in the SEC west.

[C222]

all-time we are actually the worst

Last 40 years we are 3rd worst

And people want Mullen fired. So funny.

[SheltonChoked]

Hack I disagree with your second point. Ole miss is tied to us via the state, but for us to be sucessfull, we have to forget about Ole Miss. We have to treat them like we would Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, and TAMU. Just another school in our division. If we get our athletic budget up to the top 15 nationally, who cares about Ole Miss? If we have a dynamic large alumni base, a President and AD that gets it, who cares what Ole Miss does? We will be successful.

You only worry about things you can control. We can control us, we cannot control Ole Miss. All worrying about them does is give them the attention they want
**** that.

[bully99]

There you go with that Greg Byrne crap again. Let's go hire outsiders again so they can leave after 18 months for their dream job. Please stop ..

[Political Hack]

Hack I disagree with your second point. Ole miss is tied to us via the state, but for us to be sucessfull, we have to forget about Ole Miss. We have to treat them like we would Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, and TAMU. Just another school in our division. If we get our athletic budget up to the top 15 nationally, who cares about Ole Miss? If we have a dynamic large alumni base, a President and AD that gets it, who cares what Ole Miss does? We will be successful.

You only worry about things you can control. We can control us, we cannot control Ole Miss. All worrying about them does is give them the attention they want
**** that.

I think you're sort of getting at the same point I am but in a different way. We have to put them in the rearview mirror. Period. Until we do that, we will not compete for the SEC West.

[SheltonChoked]

So you are OK with having most of the AD's office being able to drive to their parents house for lunch? I like they guys, but outside perspective has worked out well for us in the recent past. You are going to lose guys for various reasons. But even Scott was an assistant AD at Auburn, Baylor, and Kentucky. Where are ours from outside schools?

[smootness]

all-time we are actually the worst

Last 40 years we are 3rd worst

We are not worse than Vanderbilt. What they did in the Southern Conference doesn't count. It is debatable between us and Kentucky.

[SheltonChoked]

OK. Yeah I agree.