Reading between the lines....

[HSVDawg]

As I understand the rules, it is indeed possible. Mississippi would have to go before the NCAA and make the case for him staying.
Freeze would be radioactive for any other school, though Auburn did hire Bruce Pearl.

It's not quite that simple. Receiving a show cause is more or less an automatic termination requirement for your coach if they haven't been terminated already. The "show cause" language simply means that any school who attempts to hire said coach must show cause to the NCAA that the candidate in question has fully rehabilitated his past actions in regards to skirting the rules (which is of course impossible if you haven't been employed at a member institution), and the NCAA has to accept the plea. It is a diplomatically worded so that schools can have some formal channel to TRY to hire individuals under restriction, but the reality is that everyone knows what the NCAA's response is going to be so nobody even tries it.

To my knowledge, no coach who has ever received a show cause has ever been successfully hired by their previous school or another school during the show cause period, and to my knowledge no one has ever even attempted it. Pearl was hired by Auburn after his show cause period had expired, so it is not really a valid comparison.

Long story short, if Freeze receives a show cause of any length, he is done at OM permanently unless they just want a satellite office to be set up by the NCAA in the square.

[Really Clark?]

He also talked to Georgia and Maryland

He never talked with Maryland and even Rosie called that out recently. It was made up by their 247 site. Georgia was always going with Smart. Herman was an option. Mullen was only asked if he would be interested as a back up back up option if they have to go down their list. Never even got to an interview stage.

[KB21]

The confirmation bias is thick in this thread.

[basedog]

He also talked to Georgia and Maryland

I will say this, he did shop himself, I got that from someone who would know for sure, I'm just not sure where and who, I didn't ask and I'm gonna wait till the dust clears before commenting on Mullen as that was told to me.

[Percho]

The problem with wholesale changes is that it virtually assures that we will stink next year. You have to remember that players are human beings & not robots & that change is difficult & bumpy. My guess is you'll see a couple of changes & that's about it.

One thing to remember is that you don't know these people &, as fans, we can guess what's wrong but we really have no clue. Honestly, I realize the defense is the worst in MSU history, but we have to remember that Mullen hired Sirmon because he believes he possesses the ingredients & knowledge to be an elite DC. If Mullen still believes that & believes that this year's defense was a result of other, uncontrollable factors, then I hope he keeps Sirmon. You can't just fire people to fire people or because your upset, you fire people when you truly believe that you have better options & that the program is better off without that person.

I'm with you fellers. Sometimes .... happens!

[Bubb Rubb]

Miami....He talked to Miami. That's it. This whole, "Dan is shopping around" crap is more false narrative created by our own fan base. The only school he's talked to is Miami. Hell, I can't blame him. That's a ticket to the NFL, which is what he's really more interested in anyway.

My only issue is allowing his name to be thrown around with no statement to the contrary. It is not even a debatable point that job rumors have hurt us in recruiting, and all these other coaches use it against us. Dan needs to be more definitive in squashing rumors - he could make all of that go away if he's where he truly wants to be.

[msstate7]

My only issue is allowing his name to be thrown around with no statement to the contrary. It is not even a debatable point that job rumors have hurt us in recruiting, and all these other coaches use it against us. Dan needs to be more definitive in squashing rumors - he could make all of that go away if he's where he truly wants to be.

Doesn't his name being out there help Mullen with contract negotiations?

[bluelightstar]

Doesn't his name being out there help Mullen with contract negotiations?

No, because if he is a serious candidate for other jobs, everyone who matters knows it without there being 24 articles and 127 tweets from sportswriters.

[Bubb Rubb]

Doesn't his name being out there help Mullen with contract negotiations?

Once every two or three years is fine. If he's doing well, he's going to get approached, and maybe he can parlay it into a better contract where he is.

But three to four different jobs every offseason? No. He can step up behind a microphone at anytime and squash all of that. To say after the fact that most of it was BS is disingenuous.

[Really Clark?]

Once every two or three years is fine. If he's doing well, he's going to get approached, and maybe he can parlay it into a better contract where he is.

But three to four different jobs every offseason? No. He can step up behind a microphone at anytime and squash all of that. To say after the fact that most of it was BS is disingenuous.

Please list those 3-4 legitimate jobs from just the last 3 years

[TrapGame]

I listened to Dawg Talk on the radio last night. I was encouraged to hear Mullen unprovoked saying things like "yea, next year we'll be playing this one on Thanksgiving, which will be special. Will mean me and my staff will get zero sleep that week, but it will be special to play on Thanksgiving."

He made several responses talking about the youth on the team and how it is frustrating THIS year, but will be worth it next year and the next when all these guys return and HE will be coaching a veteran team with a veteran QB. Kept inferring that HE would be coaching them the next few years.

Might not mean anything at all, and I still wish the SOB wouldn't sleep this week after what's happened the last few years...but I was encouraged to hear Mullen making several references to next year and the next few years, as if he's going to be here and happy to be here.

Just thought I'd share. Disregard if you want Mullen gone, I guess

You know, I don't think I've ever heard Mullen be this adamant about being THE coach in the future tense. And he made sure it was put out there more than once.

[Liverpooldawg]

Miami....He talked to Miami. That's it. This whole, "Dan is shopping around" crap is more false narrative created by our own fan base. The only school he's talked to is Miami. Hell, I can't blame him. That's a ticket to the NFL, which is what he's really more interested in anyway.

THIS. He talked to MIAMI, and that's it. Our fan base, AND the one up north, created all the other crap.

[ShotgunDawg]

QB = better
RB = better if for nothing else than Dan can't use Shump or Holloway in the wrong role
WR = worse just from losing Ross
Oline = maybe slightly worse or even
TE = better with experience

Dline = worse from losing a lot of experience
LB = better from experience and Richie not being a fit for this defense
Safety = ? McLaurin should be better but losing Coman might be worse and Bryant playing more could make it worse
Corner = ? Should be better. Can't be much worse and we return pretty much everybody

Hopefully it will be the 2nd year in the same defensive scheme and everyone won't be thinking so much and just reacting.

You left one out: kicker. Of which we should be better and, if this team had one, they'd have 6 or 7 wins.

[Liverpooldawg]

Yep. The "shopping himself around" is on the same level as "meddling in the defense". Both are likely untrue.

This will be a very unpopular comment, but if several of our vocal message board guys would be less worried about showing their power and sources, and more worried about the continued success of MSU football....we'd have far fewer of these growing false narratives out there about Mullen. Sorry if that offends some, but it needs to be said imo.

OUTSTANDING!

[CadaverDawg]

When you are making calls to other coaches gauging interest in working on your staff at said college- that is looking to leave. Dan Mullen thought he had landed the Miami job last year and then got Richted. Miami did however like the idea of Diaz who was supposed to come with Mullen- and slid him on in with Richt.

This is a new year- we'll see what happens

No that's called "thinking you got the job". If Miami misled him or gave him false hope, shame on him for falling for it. Still doesn't mean he was "shopping himself around".

Are any of you guys ambitious? I ask bc apparently y'all should hate me, bc I will gladly sit down and talk to anybody that can potentially put my family and/or finances in better shape, or put me in a better spot to potentially fulfill my career goals, with a great opportunity. Doesn't mean I'm "shopping myself around"....means I'm not doing myself a disservice.

Maybe if we had a true MSU grinder that embraced everything about Starkville but only made a bowl game every 4 years, y'all would be happier. That way they couldn't/wouldn't "shop themselves around" bc nobody would want their sorry asses.

[Bubb Rubb]

Please list those 3-4 legitimate jobs from just the last 3 years

legitimate is your word. I'm not saying the rumors are legitimate. I'm saying he doesn't squash them, so they take on a life of their own. He's been linked recently to Maryland, Miami, Boston College, Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Arizona, Rutgers, etc, just immediately off the top of my head. It's a running gag on some message boards that every time there's a coach firing, someone says, "Mullen to ___". I'm not advocating for him to be fired. I'm not part of the lunatic fringe of this board that thinks he needs to be shitcanned. But I do think he brings a lot of stuff onto himself that he doesn't need to. He struggles with recruiting enough as it is, so why would he let rumors fly all over the place every offseason without squashing them?

[Liverpooldawg]

My only issue is allowing his name to be thrown around with no statement to the contrary. It is not even a debatable point that job rumors have hurt us in recruiting, and all these other coaches use it against us. Dan needs to be more definitive in squashing rumors - he could make all of that go away if he's where he truly wants to be.

He did issue one. That didn't stop the rumors from being made up and spread by people that say they are MSU fans.

[Really Clark?]

legitimate is your word. I'm not saying the rumors are legitimate. I'm saying he doesn't squash them, so they take on a life of their own. He's been linked recently to Maryland, Miami, Boston College, Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Arizona, Rutgers, etc, just immediately off the top of my head. It's a running gag on some message boards that every time there's a coach firing, someone says, "Mullen to ___". I'm not advocating for him to be fired. I'm not part of the lunatic fringe of this board that thinks he needs to be shitcanned. But I do think he brings a lot of stuff onto himself that he doesn't need to. He struggles with recruiting enough as it is, so why would he let rumors fly all over the place every offseason without squashing them?

But he did that. At the Conerly last year. And he can't or shouldn't respond to what some writer, random poster, talking head throws out their as just possible candidates or some list. There is not a coach who does it now or in history who makes it a point to address all rumors. And yet you want to take that and use it as he is shopping himself every year. Those who are just throwing out names are not a legitimate source to make your case. The majority of those jobs you listed are just plain false or just some writer throwing out names with no sources.

[Tbonewannabe]

No that's called "thinking you got the job". If Miami misled him or gave him false hope, shame on him for falling for it. Still doesn't mean he was "shopping himself around".

Are any of you guys ambitious? I ask bc apparently y'all should hate me, bc I will gladly sit down and talk to anybody that can potentially put my family and/or finances in better shape, or put me in a better spot to potentially fulfill my career goals, with a great opportunity. Doesn't mean I'm "shopping myself around"....means I'm not doing myself a disservice.

Maybe if we had a true MSU grinder that embraced everything about Starkville but only made a bowl game every 4 years, y'all would be happier. That way they couldn't/wouldn't "shop themselves around" bc nobody would want their sorry asses.

Depends if in doing so that it costs your company money. Mullen having these rumors floating around definitely hurts recruiting. I have a friend that works for ESPN that knows all of the talking heads. The person is in no way connected to MSU and has never gotten on a message board. The person told me that Maryland thought they had Mullen but then he thought he was getting Miami so it was turned down at the last minute. The guy very well could have gotten that info from Maryland message boards but it didn't seem that way. That is the only info I have but I trust the source.

[HSVDawg]

He never talked with Maryland and even Rosie called that out recently. It was made up by their 247 site. Georgia was always going with Smart. Herman was an option. Mullen was only asked if he would be interested as a back up back up option if they have to go down their list. Never even got to an interview stage.

What I know from the highest of sources (which I rarely have, but do in this instance) about Maryland is that he had an offer on the table during the week of the Egg Bowl that he told them he would think about for a few days. Then when it was decision time, UGA opened up and he either flatly rejected or told them he needed more time and they went another direction. Now, what led up to that offer I do not know and I don't think anybody really does outside of Mullen, his old agent, and Maryland officials. Whether their search firm contacted him or his agent or vice versa, whether or not there was an actual interview, or whether Mullen ever even spoke to anyone in an official capacity with the school (or if it was all done through his agent) is all up in the air. But the facts are that he, at very least, had a deal floated his way and he did not immediately tell them to F off. So, saying that he actually pursued the Maryland job might be a stretch, but saying he didn't talk to them at all is probably a stretch as well. I do certainly agree that the Maryland 247 guy probably did read too much into what was probably some mild mutual interest from both parties.