Anyone who has followed this journey should realize that despite his record, Croom has restored decency and credibility to Mississippi State's football program. His successor will find the going much easier in recruiting and in attracting assistant coaches. Furthermore, a number of the Bulldogs' losses were close and quite competitive. Croom accepted the job under what many describe as "... a worst-case scenario" resulting from the questionable actions of the previous coaching staff. Croom was forced to operate with limited scholarships and almost no television exposure during the first two years of his tenure. More telling, Croom's alma mater, Alabama, had the option to hire him and passed. I applaud Mississippi State for its historical decision. But I fault Mississippi State for pulling the trigger too soon. Croom's teams had begun to turn the corner. There were stellar victories notched during the lean years - Florida and Alabama, for instance - and some of Croom's more talented players are playing on Sunday. Croom's entire career has been linked to greatness, as a college player and as a professional coach. <span style="font-weight: bold;">No one will doubt that Sylvester Croom will be back coaching football immediately, either as a head coach at the collegiate level, or as an assistant at the professional level</span>. ...