This is from a MSU fan site, dated a tad, but spot on
Its difficult to know if Mullens representatives have driven most or any of the recent interest in him. Leaking a clients name to reporters as a possibility for an open job is a delicate practice that affects an agents credibility depending on if the client is hired.
Mullens choice of Sexton, who represents coaches such as Alabamas Nick Saban and Auburns Gus Malzahn, could be a signal for many things: Mullens desire to have an experienced presence oversee his possible next extension, a want to position himself well for years to come at Mississippi State or an itch to place himself in a spot to land a top head coaching job elsewhere someday. Its also possible Sexton could serve Mullen in each of those areas in various ways.
Can an agent have an effect on whether or not their client is being rumored for certain positions? Absolutely. The key of course and as an attorney myself who represents a lot of coaches is if youre trying to create leverage for your client, getting them rumored for certain positions can certainly help, said Jason Belzer, president of GAME, Inc., a coach representation and sports consulting firm.
That being said, you cant do it too often, because its like the boy-crying-wolf situation. If every other job opens up, and your clients name is rumored for it, eventually the school begins to catch on to the fact that maybe these are unsubstantiated. But to that effect, just being rumored for a job or being mentioned for a job doesnt necessarily itself create leverage. If you actually go interview for a position or theres serious interest in doing so, that may happen.
I know Jimmy very well. Hes one of my competitors, but we obviously work in the same industry. Jimmy does what he has to do to help create more leverage for his client. Do I think some of the rumors surrounding Dan or any of (Sextons) other clients are sometimes true, sometimes not? Absolutely. Sometimes, they can be completely fabricated. But by the same token, hes being very calculated. So is Jimmy involved (with Mullens rumors)? Its very difficult to pinpoint. If he does his job very well, no one is ever going to know whether or not someone is actually having a conversation with somebody or not.
Vannini said the interest in Mullen likely has more to do with the respect the coach has earned over time.
With Dan, I dont think its someone just trying to get his name out there, because everybody knows who he is and knows what he has accomplished and the job he has done there, Vannini said. How close he gets to other jobs or how real different situations are kind of depends on the situation. I think its more the respect that people have for Dan in the athletic director world than maybe just agents throwing his name out there.
Whatever the reasons for the interest in Mullen, the conversation about his future at Mississippi State will continue with each new coaching rumor involving his name. Still, Lee said he anticipates the coach to remain a familiar presence around the Bulldogs program for the near future.
I dont expect him to leave any time soon, Lee said. With (quarterback) Nick Fitzgerald at his point in development, I think hell be around for at least two more years, maybe more. But I dont know. I expect he will leave eventually.