...and I think you all should too. Here's why.
I realize and acknowledge everything that's on the table. We've got a very good recruiting class hanging in the balance, and the chances of seeing that class intact in February decreases for every day we don't have a coach. I realize that prospective Plans A, B, C, and D at the very least don't seem all that interested, just based on published reports. My own favorite candidate quelled any hope of a quick hire this morning, and I too nervously await an announcement.
However, two things make me feel at ease: #1) Mark Keenum and Greg Byrne have already begun providing leadership that our University has not seen at least since the days of Dr. Z, and it might possibly exceed that. Keenum will be here for a long time, and Byrne has already proven himself. We are finally in hands that will see to it that the best happens for Mississippi State, both in athletics and beyond. #2) We just can't do much worse than what we had. I don't have the sinking feeling that I'm sure some reasonable OM fans had in 2004 or some reasonable Auburn fans have now: "We just fired a coach that won a lot of games for us. Can we get somebody better?" That does not apply to our situation. We just fired a coach who was given ample opportunity to do something and could not do it. He was not handicapped by unreasonable demands. He ran it the way he wanted to run it and failed miserably. We just can't do much worse, and whether we hire Petersen, Kelly, Patterson, Tuberville, Graham, Wilson, Venables, Holtz, Dooley, Bower, or some unknown name, we will likely be in better shape at the end of that day.
I realize and acknowledge everything that's on the table. We've got a very good recruiting class hanging in the balance, and the chances of seeing that class intact in February decreases for every day we don't have a coach. I realize that prospective Plans A, B, C, and D at the very least don't seem all that interested, just based on published reports. My own favorite candidate quelled any hope of a quick hire this morning, and I too nervously await an announcement.
However, two things make me feel at ease: #1) Mark Keenum and Greg Byrne have already begun providing leadership that our University has not seen at least since the days of Dr. Z, and it might possibly exceed that. Keenum will be here for a long time, and Byrne has already proven himself. We are finally in hands that will see to it that the best happens for Mississippi State, both in athletics and beyond. #2) We just can't do much worse than what we had. I don't have the sinking feeling that I'm sure some reasonable OM fans had in 2004 or some reasonable Auburn fans have now: "We just fired a coach that won a lot of games for us. Can we get somebody better?" That does not apply to our situation. We just fired a coach who was given ample opportunity to do something and could not do it. He was not handicapped by unreasonable demands. He ran it the way he wanted to run it and failed miserably. We just can't do much worse, and whether we hire Petersen, Kelly, Patterson, Tuberville, Graham, Wilson, Venables, Holtz, Dooley, Bower, or some unknown name, we will likely be in better shape at the end of that day.
