I heard something interesting regarding Mullen leaving

[57stratdawg]

I heard that this spring/summer Tennessee tried to get Mullen for a while. I'm not sure exactly on the time frame, but apparently the Byrne had already announced, or atleast it was known in some circles, he was leaving and UT tried to use that as leverage.

Everything was kept very on the downlow, but here's where things get interesting.

Apparently Slive stepped in and said that SEC schools did not need to try to cannibalize each others success. AKA, we shouldn't steal each other's coaches. Slive encouraged UT to look outside of the SEC, but find someone with SEC ties if they felt like that was important. Hence Dereck Dooley.

Anyway, not sure if he'd step in publicly if LSU or UF came after Mullen, but thats what I was told happened this spring.

Take it or leave it

 

[38843dawg]

from someone who has a small role inside the football office. I just filled under ******** because I really didn't that Slive would do that for us, but you never know.

 

[SyonaraStanz]

Why play musical chairs with coaches and possibly bring down two programs. Look outside the conference for an existing great coach or a good up-and-comer, another solid ambassador for the conference.

It's good damage control.

 

[slowpoke3]

I'd like to know what all of your other files are like, coach...

 

[DowntownDawg]

....the part where you discuss whether or not Mullen was interested.

 

[SyonaraStanz]

*

 

[therightway]

I am not saying it did not happen but most times when something like this happens the coach also uses this as leverage to get a raise for himself.

 

[38843dawg]

Again I never really believed him because how would some **** like this stay so quite, but he may have been right all along.

 

[BriantheDawg]

that when Masoli was first kicked off the Oregon team, Mullen told Stricklin that he had thoughts about recruiting him to come to State, but that he'd think it over for a few days and would get back to him before he made his final decision on how he was going to proceed.

After the couple of days was up, Mullen told Stricklin that he was not going to pursue Masoli because he was committed to this program for the long term and didn't feel the need to mess up any team chemistry by bringing in a guy like that for one year.

Hopefully, if he starts winning, we pay him and he stays. I think we will pay him, but there might be somebody out there who will make him an offer he can't refuse.

 

[patdog]

The SEC has a long history of schools hiring coaches away from other conference schools. How in the hell would that have been fair to Tennessee if it was true?

 

[AssEndDawg]

you have people who want to move into a successful position (Lane Kiffin) and people who want to build a successful position (Bobby Bowden). Neither is wrong and most coaches fall into the first category. I'm not sure where Dan falls but he has said an awful lot about staying at MSU for the long haul lately and none of us are expecting or pushing him to say it. Not sure if it means anything. Of course, words come easy when there isn't someone on the other side of the table holding a check but I think Dan and his family really like it here. Doesn't mean he's saying but it doesn't hurt either.

 

[therightway]

One thing that came out today was that he almost burned the redshirt. If I was wanting to skip to the next job I would do everything to make the next move. Russell would have played the first game.

 

[jonathanbarden]

that this is true. If Slive was so adamant about "saving" MSU and not wanting to hinder our program, or whatever else you want to call it, why wouldn't he have stepped in and done something when it was rumored Florida was pursuing Mullen when Urban Meyer first announced his "resignation?" That would make no sense and would in no way be fair to Tennessee. I'm going to press the BS button on this story.

 

[Todd4State]

will probably stay if we pay him enough. And yes, I do think we can. It will mean that some things like ticket prices will go up and things like that, but I'm OK with buying a better product.

 

[anon1751035439]

You mean Slive can dictate who can't be hired by an SEC school? No way.

 

[57stratdawg]

ESPN jumped all over that, but as best I can tell Meyer never really left. That makes me think they didn't get very far in a coaching search. I heard Mullen say before the season that the night Meyer retired he didn't answer his phone for a while as a joke to Byrne.

It's good business to keep schools from going after other SEC coaches. Will he really stop a big school? I dont know. But even letting it be known that the SEC isn't a big fan of it is a big plus for MSU.