learning How the other Half Wins in the SEc
n.H.l. StAnDIngS
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The road to the Bowl Champion- ship Series title game will wind through the most remote college town in the Southeastern Confer- ence during the next month. By hosting No. 2 Florida this week- end and No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 14, Mississippi State will make appearances in the national championship conversation.
And the drop-ins by the SEC fat cats will showcase for Mis- sissippi State's first-year coach, Dan Mullen, exactly what he is chasing in one of the most diffi- cult jobs in all of college sports.
When Mullen, 37, was hired by Mississippi State last year after spending four seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida, he traded the Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow for a walk-on quarterback and went to a uni- versity with essentially half the athletic budget ($41 million com- pared with $89 million) and foot- ball budget (less than $8 million compared with $15.8 million).
There is even a coordinator in the SEC, Tennessee's Monte Kiffin, who is scheduled to make $300,000 more than Mullen's $1.2 million salary this season.
But as Mississippi State has shown pluck and promise by
starting 3-4 in Mullen's rookie year, he has embraced his new home on the other side of the SEC's financial tracks.
"Maybe people would wonder why you come here, but when I did the research and looked at the talent within a five-hour radius, the vision of the athletic director and a new president, I felt like we could build a winning program here," Mullen said.
The tale of Mississippi State's recent football history includes losses (two winning seasons this decade) and N.C.A.A. rules violations. Mullen is in charge of rewriting the narrative.
Mississippi State had a shot to beat Louisiana State in Septem- ber, but was stopped four times after having first-and-goal at the 2 in the final two minutes. And the Bulldogs played the ranked opponents Georgia Tech and Houston to the wire.
With a patchwork roster that includes one of the SEC's best tailbacks, Anthony Dixon, but had enough holes that Mullen installed five junior college transfers as starters, there has been consistent effort and an improved offensive game plan. After finishing No. 113 nationally in total offense last year (274.9 yards a game), Mississippi State
is No. 53 this year (390.3). "What Dan is allowing us to do
is put us in position to win those games," said Mississippi State's athletic director, Greg Byrne. "We feel like we're in a very posi- tive position for the long term."
Mullen's overhaul began with his strength coach, Matt Balis, who was such an important piece that Mullen said he would have considered not taking the job if Balis had not come. The next step has come with recruiting, especially of local talent.
"We need to be the Oakland A's," the associate athletic direc- tor Scott Stricklin said, referring to the drafting of undervalued players by the frugal Oakland baseball team.
Mullen said that Mississippi State's senior class featured just one of the top 20 high school players in the state during their senior year.
He also points out that perhaps the three greatest players at their positions in N.F.L. history - Brett Favre (Southern Missis- sippi), Walter Payton (Jackson State) and Jerry Rice (Missis- sippi Valley State) - all slipped through the recruiting cracks here. "What an impressive hall of fame that would be," Mullen said. PETE THAMEL
n.H.l. StAnDIngS
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The road to the Bowl Champion- ship Series title game will wind through the most remote college town in the Southeastern Confer- ence during the next month. By hosting No. 2 Florida this week- end and No. 1 Alabama on Nov. 14, Mississippi State will make appearances in the national championship conversation.
And the drop-ins by the SEC fat cats will showcase for Mis- sissippi State's first-year coach, Dan Mullen, exactly what he is chasing in one of the most diffi- cult jobs in all of college sports.
When Mullen, 37, was hired by Mississippi State last year after spending four seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Florida, he traded the Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow for a walk-on quarterback and went to a uni- versity with essentially half the athletic budget ($41 million com- pared with $89 million) and foot- ball budget (less than $8 million compared with $15.8 million).
There is even a coordinator in the SEC, Tennessee's Monte Kiffin, who is scheduled to make $300,000 more than Mullen's $1.2 million salary this season.
But as Mississippi State has shown pluck and promise by
starting 3-4 in Mullen's rookie year, he has embraced his new home on the other side of the SEC's financial tracks.
"Maybe people would wonder why you come here, but when I did the research and looked at the talent within a five-hour radius, the vision of the athletic director and a new president, I felt like we could build a winning program here," Mullen said.
The tale of Mississippi State's recent football history includes losses (two winning seasons this decade) and N.C.A.A. rules violations. Mullen is in charge of rewriting the narrative.
Mississippi State had a shot to beat Louisiana State in Septem- ber, but was stopped four times after having first-and-goal at the 2 in the final two minutes. And the Bulldogs played the ranked opponents Georgia Tech and Houston to the wire.
With a patchwork roster that includes one of the SEC's best tailbacks, Anthony Dixon, but had enough holes that Mullen installed five junior college transfers as starters, there has been consistent effort and an improved offensive game plan. After finishing No. 113 nationally in total offense last year (274.9 yards a game), Mississippi State
is No. 53 this year (390.3). "What Dan is allowing us to do
is put us in position to win those games," said Mississippi State's athletic director, Greg Byrne. "We feel like we're in a very posi- tive position for the long term."
Mullen's overhaul began with his strength coach, Matt Balis, who was such an important piece that Mullen said he would have considered not taking the job if Balis had not come. The next step has come with recruiting, especially of local talent.
"We need to be the Oakland A's," the associate athletic direc- tor Scott Stricklin said, referring to the drafting of undervalued players by the frugal Oakland baseball team.
Mullen said that Mississippi State's senior class featured just one of the top 20 high school players in the state during their senior year.
He also points out that perhaps the three greatest players at their positions in N.F.L. history - Brett Favre (Southern Missis- sippi), Walter Payton (Jackson State) and Jerry Rice (Missis- sippi Valley State) - all slipped through the recruiting cracks here. "What an impressive hall of fame that would be," Mullen said. PETE THAMEL
