Dan Mullen thread (merged)

#1,376
#1,376
TheDeeble said:
Definitely not a Mullen advocate, but I doubt that guy exists right now.

More than likely the rest of SEC will be on the outside looking in for the most part as long as Saban is at bama.

Maybe we can get a coach to prove me wrong. That ain't Mullen though.
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Couple of observations :

1) Saban has nothing UT couldn't have
2) He's pretty good at applying his system
3) His system isn't bad
4) That is the problem with applying an inferior system,
the harder you try, the worse it gets (see FCBJ circa 2015-2017)
5) Talent is mobile and educated these days, it really doesn't have much to do with geography
6) Fan bases are are and should be catered to because they are more important than ever - u can build a decent record in a short time span, given the right ingredients, but you can't build a fan base that has staying power so easily
 
#1,377
#1,377
lifeVol said:
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Couple of observations :

1) Saban has nothing UT couldn't have
2) He's pretty good at applying his system
3) His system isn't bad
4) That is the problem with applying an inferior system,
the harder you try, the worse it gets (see FCBJ circa 2015-2017)
5) Talent is mobile and educated these days, it really doesn't have much to do with geography
6) Fan bases are are and should be catered to because they are more important than ever - u can build a decent record in a short time span, given the right ingredients, but you can't build a fan base that has staying power so easily
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I don't think I disagree with any of that.

My statement is mostly because Saban is a once every 2-3 decades coach and will probably be viewed as the best college football coach ever after all is said and done. When he retires, the SEC will probably be more balanced in terms of SEC Championship appearances/victories.

Put Saban at any university that has a good football program, money, fanbase, and an AD that is willing to back him, and I think he duplicates his success. It isn't because it's bama. It's Saban.

As we've all seen great football programs go through hard times when they screw up their coach hire. Annual top 5's go to being unranked. The coach is everything.
 
#1,378
#1,378
Anyone that believes that Mullen is the answer for UT is a benchlicking moron IMO. If they can't get Gruden there's many other, much better candidates to be had.

Make all of the above tell you no first:

1. Jon Gruden
2. Chris Petersen
3. Gary Patterson
4. Matt Campbell
5. Scott Frost
6. John Harbaugh
7. Bob Stoops
8. Paul Chryst
9. James Franklin
10. Lane Kiffin
11. Brent Venables
12. Mike Leach
13. David Shaw
14. Jimbo Fisher
15. Mike Gundy
16. Ken Niumatalolo
17. Greg Schiano
18. Les Miles

Just in the SEC I would take Bielema, Luke, Odom, or Sumlin ahead of Mullen of the "gettable" coaches. Not saying I'd want any of those 4 though.

Mullen's ceiling at UT would be an average of 8-9 wins a year with the occasional 10 win season. Depending on who Florida hires if we got Mullen we would perennially be fighting Missouri and South Carolina for 3rd in the East. Yippee.
 
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#1,379
#1,379
VFL-82-JP said:
Yep. :)

Someone is going to say, "but Mullen has the misfortune of coaching during the Saban era at Bama; you can't count a lack of division titles against him because of that.


But...

...don't we want a coach who can whup Saban's butt, at least half the time? Isn't that our first and foremost goal each season, SEC championships?

So excusing Mullen for not having any division titles in nine years is also condemning him from a Tennesee coaching search, because he can't do what we need to get done.

Right?
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JP, the one common denominator the 7 HCs who have defeated Saban at Bama have had is teams loaded with talent, with a lot of luck sprinkled in (Freeze), and a miracle here and there (Malzahn), or lightning in a bottle (Sumlin and Johnny Football).

MSU will never have anywhere near the level of talent any of them have, or had. But it is very possible Mullen could compete with Saban if he had access to the level of talent those others had, which he could have at UT.

I know you think we are getting the big hire, but I don't, so I am focused on those I believe are realistic candidates. If we do get a splash hire, then great, but there is no guarantee any splash hire could win 50% of the time against Saban. Kelly? He couldn't defeat Miles or Malzahn. Petersen. Saban destroyed his best team. Gruden? No one knows, since he hasn,'t coached in a decade.

I certainly will still be thrilled with any of those 3, because we could win a lot of games with any of them and get to Atlanta on a regular basis, but since IMI, those 3 are not coming, I am looking at coaches that I think could be successful here with a serious talent upgrade over where they are now.
 
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#1,380
#1,380
Crazy Ivan said:
JP, the one common denominator the 7 HCs who have defeated Saban at Bama have had is teams loaded with talent, with a lot of luck sprinkled in (Freeze), and a miracle here and there (Malzahn), or lightning in a bottle (Sumlin and Johnny Football).

MSU will never have anywhere near the level of talent any of them have, or had. But it is very possible Mullen could compete with Saban if he had access to the level of talent those others had, which he could have at UT.

I know you think we are getting the big hire, but I don't, so I am focused on those I believe are realistic candidates. If we do get a splash hire, then great, but there is no guarantee any splash hire could win 50% of the time against Saban. Kelly? He couldn't defeat Miles or Malzahn. Petersen. Saban destroyed his best team. Gruden? No one knows, since he hasn,'t coached in a decade.

I certainly will still be thrilled with any of those 3, because we could win a lot of games with any of them and get to Atlanta on a regular basis, but since IMI, those 3 are not coming, I am looking at coaches that I think could be successful here with a serious talent upgrade over where they are now.
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I understand, Ivan. I just think you and I and everyone else who wears orange is going to be really excited with an announcement coming this next several days. :good!:
 
#1,381
#1,381
VFL-82-JP said:
I understand, Ivan. I just think you and I and everyone else who wears orange is going to be really excited with an announcement coming this next several days. :good!:
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Indeed. And whoever it is I will support them 100% and will anticipate they are the next Nick Saban. 😉
 
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#1,382
#1,382
I believe Mississippi State will finish 5th in the West this year, if Texas A&M beats LSU tomorrow and tied for 4th, if LSU wins. Mullen's average finish in the West prior to this year was 4.4. So, he is right on the mark again.

I would say this has ended up being a disappointing year, although there are no superstars on the team... there is no real weakness either personnel wise.

Mullen has an excellent gig at Mississippi State, finished tied for 5th in the West last year, and finished with a losing record - got a raise and extension. :) Probably will get a raise this year.

I expect Mississippi State to good next year, personnel wise they are in good shape.
 
#1,386
#1,386
VFL-82-JP said:
Sylvester Croom and Jackie Sherrill were the last two prior to Dan Mullen. Might be worthwhile comparing the three:


Jackie went 43-59-1 (42.2% win rate) in SEC play. One division title in 13 seasons. Best season was 10-2.

Sylvester went 10-30 (25%). No division titles in 5 seasons. Best season was 8-5.

Dan has gone 33-39 (45.8%) so far in SEC play. No division titles in 9 seasons. Best season 10-3.


So it would be reasonable to conclude that Dan is a better coach than Sylvester, and about the same as Jackie.

That's not a glowing endorsement, but it is what it is.
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What is with these people and not understanding context of the stats they're quoting? In the 13 years at MSU, Sherrill had 5 years with a record of 3-6-2 or worse. Mullen's worse is a 5-7 season in 2009 after inheriting a 4-8 team that earned said record against a weak schedule that year. Simply eyeballing the SOS ratings for Mullen and Sherrill shows that Mullen has had a lot more competitive division on average than Sherrill.

No one here is arguing Mullen is the next Saban, however the guy has significantly outperformed the program's expectations in the most competitive division they've seen since the '60s and '80s. He's also done this with recruiting classes that are usually at the bottom of the entire SEC.
 
#1,387
#1,387
I am no insider. I just have a friend. His dad is a Dean and Associate Provost at MSU. Says Mullen to UT is done. Announcement tomorrow. We’ll see...

Not particularly pleased with this.
 
#1,394
#1,394
SoMissVol said:
I am no insider. I just have a friend. His dad is a Dean and Associate Provost at MSU. Says Mullen to UT is done. Announcement tomorrow. We’ll see...

Not particularly pleased with this.
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Interesting. Must be to run the offense because I have seen 854 confirmed reports that Gruden was a done deal. Great staff Gruden must be assembling!
 
#1,399
#1,399
I am ok with Mullen if true. Assuming Frost to UF and Peterson and Gruden being a "dream" of sorts I prefer Mullen to anyone reasonable not named Peterson, Gruden or Frost. Not sure how we could do better with anyone else left on the board.
 
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