Dan Mullen thread (merged)

Why does everyone want to compare Mullen to Franklin?

Because both coached/coaches at the bottom dwellers of the SEC in Vandy and Mississippi State.

Yet with the recruiting and resources disadvantages of both, they over achieved at both programs given the programs' all time win percentages.
 
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Because Vandy and Miss State are similarly tough places to recruit to and win at a decent level. Yet both did it at their respective locations.

Houston Nutt mentality - in Nutt's case he was actually a huge winner. Going to another place doesn't always mean same result.
 
Brett Bielema agrees with you.

I think there is a lot to consider, he for sure is a decent coach. Although, he is already pricey. He already makes more than Butch and the Shark Lover, and he doesn't really need to win year in and year out. Both Tennessee and Florida are now on their way to their 4th coach during the time Mullen took over Mississippi State - so why would he leave?

Tennessee - Lamo, Dooley, Jones
Florida - Meyer, Muschamp, Shark Lover

I would think the price tag would have to be very very high. Mullen has probably the greatest gig in all of football.
 
I think there is a lot to consider, he for sure is a decent coach. Although, he is already pricey. He already makes more than Butch and the Shark Lover, and he doesn't really need to win year in and year out. Both Tennessee and Florida are now on their way to their 4th coach during the time Mullen took over Mississippi State - so why would he leave?

Tennessee - Lamo, Dooley, Jones
Florida - Meyer, Muschamp, Shark Lover

I would think the price tag would have to be very very high. Mullen has probably the greatest gig in all of football.

oh, i'm not advocating for CBB. just saying, when he was hired at Ark, was there any coach hired that had a more accomplished resume? he won conf titles, division titles, rose bow/bcs wins....he was a home run for sure on paper.

hasn't worked in Fayetteville.
 
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oh, i'm not advocating for CBB. just saying, when he was hired at Ark, was there any coach hired that had a more accomplished resume? he won conf titles, division titles, rose bow/bcs wins....he was a home run for sure on paper.

hasn't worked in Fayetteville.

:hi:

Yeah, on paper everyone has everything figured out - Florida had everything worked out with Mac just 4 months ago with an extension. I think Mullen is a decent coach, the problem with the equation is he has a nice setup. How does someone get him to move without $8m a year?

I bring up the LSU situation a year ago, I actually said at the time there is limited options - the way the contracts are setup and the high salaries, the hiring is very hard to do.
 
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:hi:

Yeah, on paper everyone has everything figured out - Florida had everything worked out with Mac just 4 months ago with an extension. I think Mullen is a decent coach, the problem with the equation is he has a nice setup. How does someone get him to move without $8m a year?

I bring up the LSU situation a year ago, I actually said at the time there is limited options - the way the contracts are setup and the high salaries, the hiring is very hard to do.

agree. but i do think FL did itself a favor by getting out a tad early in the market. at least they can have conversations with prospective candidates' representatives with the knowledge there is an actual opening....if nothing else, they can find out interest level fairly quickly, and fine tune the list. they can also communicate to recruits, and answer questions, as best they can, whereas we can't.


the hard part aside from the actual hiring, is keeping all those conversations discreet, and not having the eventual leaks of information. agents and reps are there to get the best deal for their client, so there's always some back channeling to the back channeling to see if there's a bidding process to be had.

and with as many jobs that may be open, and the limited pool of candidates....it may just be he who has the biggest checkbook, and isn't afraid to use it, wins.

that requires a level of risk/reward AD's are going to have to consider.

all that to say, i agree...the hiring is the hard part.
 
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Mullen at a big time football school would be like Franklin at Penn State. Top 10 seasons. I'm glad we're getting Gruden, but Florida will bounce back quickly if they get Mullen.

Never forget how bad Miss State is as a program. Historically the worst in the SEC. Vandy and Kentucky have a higher winning percentage. Ole Miss is the state school, MSU is little brother. Alabama and LSU pick the state from the east and west as far as top recruits go. Him getting them to #1 in the country, even for a week was an amazing accomplishment. He also coached against the toughest division in college football history the past 10 years.


Vols are getting Gruden?

Did I miss something?
 
already did, a month ago.

If you aren't satisfied with the mediocrity of Butch why would you want the mediocrity of Mullen?

Same records essentially. Consistently 4th place in the West, never won the division. Worst current record in the country against top 25 teams. The list goes on an on. UT can, and will do much better, imo.
You gotta look at it like franklin at vandy

Miss st is THE bottom feeder of the west

Beating up on Texas A&M and LSU and winning 9 games is a pretty great season for them
 
Because Vandy and Miss State are similarly tough places to recruit to and win at a decent level. Yet both did it at their respective locations.

While both are similar as not being great over a long time, Vandy has much more difficulties because of its academics.

Franklin started slow at both Vandy and PSU then quickly went big time. Mullen started slow then went up and back down and over again.

While Mullen is a good coach he doesn't have the same upward trend as Franklin. I would also argue going 9-4 and 9-4 back to back at Vandy is better than the best seasons Mullen had. Just my opinion doesn't have to be yours.
 
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While both are similar as not being great over a long time, Vandy has much more difficulties because of its academics.

Franklin started slow at both Vandy and PSU then quickly went big time. Mullen started slow then went up and back down and over again.

While Mullen is a good coach he doesn't have the same upward trend as Franklin. I would also argue going 9-4 and 9-4 back to back at Vandy is better than the best seasons Mullen had. Just my opinion doesn't have to be yours.

18-8 is the Franklin’s best 2 year run at Vandy.
19-7 was Mullen’s.

Those are both remarkable given the two programs.

While Vandy, as you noted, has academic issues that limit recruiting, Mississippi State also has resources and location issues that limit recruiting. Within a 4 hour Circle, they have to compete with Bama, Auburn, Ole Miss on recruits. That’s just as bad on recruiting as academics at Vandy.

Regardless, Franklin and Mullen went way over the norms for both schools
 
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I have liked Mullen as a fall back option but the more i think about it I would grab him up in one case for sure. IF Fl hires someone like an up and comer over Mullen after the success he had there as OC then having him at UT with a chip on his shoulder against Fl could be a real good thing. Not saying 1st call but a call I would make none the less.
 
I have liked Mullen as a fall back option but the more i think about it I would grab him up in one case for sure.

How many non-leading zeroes do you have in your bank account? My guess is you're going to need at least 8, and possibly 9, not including the cents.
 
How many non-leading zeroes do you have in your bank account? My guess is you're going to need at least 8, and possibly 9, not including the cents.

That’s blatantly false. While he would get a pay raise at a Florida or Tennessee, it won’t take double his current pay to get him. He was holding out for the UGA job. That’s been his dream job and only one person was gonna beat him out for it and that was Kirby. Now that UGA is wrapped up, he likely will make a jump to a bigger school while getting a pay raise. But saying it’s gonna take over 8 Million a year to get him is laughable.

But of course, you are the know all about every possible coach. It’s really a shame that you aren’t in an AD somewhere.
 
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That’s blatantly false. While he would get a pay raise at a Florida or Tennessee, it won’t take double his current pay to get him. He was holding out for the UGA job. That’s been his dream job and only one person was gonna beat him out for it and that was Kirby. Now that UGA is wrapped up, he likely will make a jump to a bigger school while getting a pay raise. But saying it’s gonna take over 8 Million a year to get him is laughable.

But of course, you are the know all about every possible coach. It’s really a shame that you aren’t in an AD somewhere.

Exactly right. Mullen makes about 4.5 right now. If FL paid him between 5 and 6 million that could put Mullen as high as the 4th highest paid coach in the nation. While I am sure FL would give him plenty for assistants they won't give him more than 6..........most likely 5 to 5.5.
 
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