Since we have a different dynamic now - we go 4-8 with Damien Williams...

[dawgstudent]

what avenue do you take with Mullen? Has anything changed?

I said before if we lost out, I would be on board with letting him go. Now, since we have lost our top two QB's - it would be tough for me to let him go if I was AD.

 

[holydawg]

what avenue do you take with Mullen? Has anything changed?

I said before if we lost out, I would be on board with letting him go. Now, since we have lost our top two QB's - it would be tough for me to let him go if I was AD.

Are both for sure out?

 

[Philly Dawg]

I really think Mullen is safe no matter what happens, this year. But how the season ends will definitely color how the administration reacts to how things go next year. If we finish 4-8 and get off to a bad start next year with a perceived easy schedule...

 

[DAWG61]

It's really this simple for me. If we are guaranteed 100% to get Hud I jump at that and Hud takes over Dec. 1 (no bowl game for ULL with Hud). If we are just 99% on Hud I give Dan the extra year. I think we see Dan's ceiling right now and we just choose to ignore it.

 

[dawgstudent]

No idea - just doing another hypothetical.

 

[dannyripms]

I hope he gets canned either way. Especially if he loses to arky. I can see losing to tsun because they are better coached than us which is ashame in itself being this is year 2 for freeze and year 5 for dan. I hope they are working something out with HUD behind the scenes and surprise us after the season

 

[thatsbaseball]

The only 2 things I know for sure is we`ll have a very divided fan base for an extended period of time if Mullen is retained and he`ll have a rougher than normal time recruiting from the hot seat he`ll be riding in to 2014.

 

[Indndawg]

Lotsa variables. If the D played well, show a lot of effort...prolly not.

If we give up alot of pts to UPIGG and Mississippi and play with that 2003 effort. He should be canned

 

[rugbdawg]

The line on the Arkansas game, on my site at least, has moved to 2 and a half,

up from one and a half. I got on it when it was one and half. We SHOULD be able to beat them, with or without Dak or Russell, in year 5 against a team we blew out last year. A team that lost EVERYTHING, has a new coach trying to install a completely different system, and a team that is 3 and 7, scoring an average of 15 points a game in SEC play.

Yes, we SHOULD be able to hold the Hogs to 14 points or under and we SHOULD be able to get to 20. Hell, with Dylan Favre at QB, we should win this game. Vegas sees us as winning EVEN with the uncertainty behind QBs.

In SEC play only, we have the 4th best rushing defense in the league behind Bama, Missouri, and Florida. Arkansas is 5th in the league in rushing offense and dead last in passing offense. Their "strength" is running the ball. Our defensive strength is defending the run. We match up well defensively and SHOULD be able to completely shut them down. No excuse to lose this game in year 5. Hell, Florida beat them by 20 points.

 

[missouridawg]

Here's my stance on this one

I think Mullen is going to have everything he needs to win 9 or 10 games next year and I hope he gets the chance to do that. Even if he goes 4-8, I think I want to see him back.

But if we do a coaching change without a dry Hudspeth signature prior to firing Mullen, we have 17ed up.

 

[dawgstudent]

Good post. Mostly agree but if we lost out with Dak as our QB - I don't think he deserved another year.

With that being said, he is going to be here regardless and I hope he wins 12 games next season.

 

[StatesboroBlues]

Losing to a team that has lost 10 straight SEC games and is 2-12 in the conference during the last 2 seasons(0-8 UK '12, 0-8 Aub '12) is tough...no matter the QB situation.

 

[mstateglfr]

I hope he gets canned either way. Especially if he loses to arky. I can see losing to tsun because they are better coached than us which is ashame in itself being this is year 2 for freeze and year 5 for dan. I hope they are working something out with HUD behind the scenes and surprise us after the season

Its as if you and many others are unable to understand programs go up and down.

Do you think Mullen has gotten worse as a coach, or have the hundreds of viariables that affect a team's season overall not gone well this season while overall going very well in '10?

This is like the Steelers and Dick LeBeau. I have heard and read morons calling for his head because the defense not only isnt great, but it is barely good and is inconsistent. Do they all think he no longer knows how to coach and lead a defense? Or maybe perhaps a mix of variables out of his control have caused a drop in effectiveness?


Apply this to Mullen- between injuries, talent, and experience at key positions- maybe he does still know how to coach and things havent gone how they could have?
With that said- Mullen has made so bad coaching calls this season- all in retrospect. If the calls succeed, he is a genius.

 

[UIUCDog]

This is my position as well.

 

[57stratdawg]

Did the offensive game plan change for OSU?
Did something change with special teams' performance all year?
Is Josh Robinson still getting 5 carries a game?

Then 4-8 doesn't change my feelings.

 

[TheOMlawdog]

what avenue do you take with Mullen? Has anything changed?

I said before if we lost out, I would be on board with letting him go. Now, since we have lost our top two QB's - it would be tough for me to let him go if I was AD.

Considering the offense that Mullen runs, are injuries to the QB something he should get a pass on? I mean Im pretty sure Dak is the team's leading rusher, and in the SEC that is usually a way to get your QB hurt.

 

[futaba.79]

it will be very hard to win this game............

with a true freshman making his first start at QB. Ark is still in the SEC and they still have players, I don't care how bad they've played.

Ark will play 9 in the box and see if Williams can beat them. If he gets it done, he'll have my respect.

As for Mullen, I haven't changed how I felt about him since 2009.

 

[boatsandhoes]

I'm mostly with Strat. I don't know that winning out would change my feelings. Beating OMU would make me think, but right now he is going to get his coaching hat handed to him by the beev.

Next year it has to change, because Perk won't be here anymore so he's forced to. The offensive game planning and personnel choices make the decision for me. Even if we are healthy, and have more upperclassmen the mind and thought process is still the same behind it. We will never get better than 8-4 like this if he refuses to adapt in game/in season/per quarterback. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.

I like the HUD option. If we lose I want to light up the scoreboard, and play some defense like saturday (Kendrick Market style) If we lose doing that I am cool.

 

[aTotal360]

I agree with what you are saying. Personally, I think Mullen has been spoiled with durable QBs. All of his horses remained fairly intact despite their obscene workload. Relf got beat like a rented mule and missed a game here and there. Tebow too. Unless you have an absolute bull under center, you have to count on the QB getting dinged up with the offense he runs.

The way we fake the perimeter run, then dive the QB up the middle, just begs for trouble.

I say "Hell no, he doesn't get a pass". His system amplifies the amount of hits the QB takes by running them directly at the LBs as opposed to faking the dive to the RB and getting the QB to the perimeter and giving them the chance to go out of bounds.

 

[engie]

No pass. Every single problem we've got in year 5 still ultimately falls at his feet.

If we keep him with what we bring back, he needs an 8 win floor next year given the schedule. Find a way to get to 8 or get out.

Of course, I think he goes 6-6 or 7-5 at best next year -- and then you are faced with another losing proposition of getting rid of a winning coach. And he probably gets to come back for 2015 in spite of over 30 games of underperformance.

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

With that said- Mullen has made so bad coaching calls this season- all in retrospect. If the calls succeed, he is a genius.

Going for 2 in the first quarter against Auburn was a bad decision even it if it panned out. Choosing to run the read option with Russell is a bad decision no matter the result. Everything you said is true. There are a ton of variables. At the same time, we keep making bad decisions that cost us chances at wins. That has been a constant.

As for Damian Williams, if Mullen is going to run this offense, he needs to be held accountable for games with back-up QBs. That's what happens when you constantly expose your QB to hits. Russell is the only QB to make it through an entire year with him (2012).

 

[thatsbaseball]

"the offense that Mullen runs" also makes it very difficult to recruit QB`s

 

[Dog316]

what avenue do you take with Mullen? Has anything changed?

I said before if we lost out, I would be on board with letting him go. Now, since we have lost our top two QB's - it would be tough for me to let him go if I was AD.

After the Stansbury debacle if Scott were to fire Mullen, he too would be looking for a job. He is in way over his head. He may be tall, slim, and like able, but the comparison with the former AD ends there.

 

[Requiem For A Dawg]

what avenue do you take with Mullen? Has anything changed?

I said before if we lost out, I would be on board with letting him go. Now, since we have lost our top two QB's - it would be tough for me to let him go if I was AD.

Isn't it Mullen's fault that we only have 3 scholly QBs? I know this doesn't answer your question but how he has handled our QB situation is a microcosm of the entire program.

 

[was21]

I don't know that it matters. I believe he was going to be retained regardless...this year. I also don't believe that Stricklin would make the final call, that he is that strong one way or the other. I could see GB taking action, but not him. I don't know why. I also believe that he should get another year regardless if these two QB injuries prevent play or even limited play.

 

[aTotal360]

The Stans/RR debacle might have made SS gun shy. Rightfully so I guess.

 

[futaba.79]

other than hire Cohen...........

What did Byrne do?

 

[paindonthurt_]

Do you generally have more than 3 scholly QBs on a roster?

 

[skb124]

Wait just a dang minute.

You are saying that if he goes 6-6, leading us to our 4th straight bowl game, that you would still want him gone? That might be the dumbest thing I've read on here.

 

[skb124]

This has basically been my stance the whole time. He deserved next year all along in my book. But if we had a bad year this year, 8 wins minimum next year or he needs to go.

However I totally disagree with your outlook next year. I think we get 8 for sure and push for 10. Granted, you already know I'm an optimist.

 

[NCDawg.sixpack]

This is my position as well.

Mine, also. Mullen's inability to recruit well is my primary concern. I think most of the recruiting sites have us picked last or next to last in the SEC. We will never get to the upper half of the SEC if we don't start recruiting better. I think Hud could do a lot better.

 

[dannyripms]

Screw that. He hasn't gotten any better. Can you honestly say he's gotten better? Heck no. He needs to be gone so we won't have to wait another year of the same old discussion. I'm sick of it

 

[Shamoan]

regardless of what happens, our fanbase will give mullen another year, and by fanbase, i mean stricklin. if it was up to me, the eventuality of mullens firing is totally inevitable within the next 3 years even in a best case scenario. we now have easily one of the worst 4 coaches in the league. that **** aint gonna cut it, and its sad that an ok coach is no longer acceptable. dan is ok, but this league is stocked with great coaches and great recruiters....dan is like us, we are ok, but our competition week in and out is much better than ok.

 

[121Josey]

Do you generally have more than 3 scholly QBs on a roster?

Most schools worth anything bring in 2 in a recruiting class.

 

[Strike.sixpack]

I kind of disagree with it being inevitable he is fired within three years. Here is why. If he does the minimum that a lot thinks he should to retain his job next year, win 8 games, then I can see a possibility of him being hired away. If he upsets a team and wins 9 next year in the regular season then his stock rises a good bit. I don't know if he will take it but that is a possibility as well. That will be a resume that some ad's will think is pretty good considering the division he's been in. Increased attendance, stadium expansion, new facilities, runs a pretty clean program, low attrition rate, graduation rates are good, not to mention winning at a 10-15% clip above the schools historical number and at least 4 bowls out of 6 years and those numbers obviously go up if he finds a way to get to 6 wins this year. Now I'm not saying he will do that but there is a pretty good possibility he gets to 8 wins next year.

 

[121Josey]

what avenue do you take with Mullen? Has anything changed?

I said before if we lost out, I would be on board with letting him go. Now, since we have lost our top two QB's - it would be tough for me to let him go if I was AD.

Croom would laugh at this thread. A coach wins eight one year (losing out), wins four the next (losing out), then the fans want to give him another year.

It's not just it's losing out. It's losing 2 of 3, getting embarrassed by LSU, underperforming against BG and UK, losing out.

Most people realized that it was a possibility when the schedule came out (especialy with the UPigg game in Ark). So nothing has changed on that issue. The loss of the QBs just make it a reality and an excuse.

However I totally disagree with your outlook next year. I think we get 8 for sure and push for 10. Granted, you already know I'm an optimist.

Did the schedule say 4 wins this year? Most people thought 6 wins (7 with a bowl) was at least 50/50.

No pass. Every single problem we've got in year 5 still ultimately falls at his feet. If we keep him with what we bring back, he needs an 8 win floor next year given the schedule. Find a way to get to 8 or get out.

Of course, I think he goes 6-6 or 7-5 at best next year -- and then you are faced with another losing proposition of getting rid of a winning coach. And he probably gets to come back for 2015 in spite of over 30 games of underperformance.

8 wins next year is still underperforming. Yet, he's not capable of getting 8.

Did the offensive game plan change for OSU?Did something change with special teams' performance all year? Is Josh Robinson still getting 5 carries a game?

Then 4-8 doesn't change my feelings.

Exactly. It's been the same problems all year. Nothing has changed on the offensive side of the ball.

Good post. Mostly agree but if we lost out with Dak as our QB - I don't think he deserved another year.

We lost with Dak as our QB. That's the problem. Dak might have salvaged a UPigg win, but he wouldn't have guaranteed a TSUN win. They're the better coached team.

You are saying that if he goes 6-6, leading us to our 4th straight bowl game, that you would still want him gone? That might be the dumbest thing I've read on here.

Yes. State can do better. And not necessarily Hudspeth. But if a winning head coach at another program had the tools he had to work with, 6-6 would not be a question. Mullen is not a coach that is going to outmaneuver an opponent to win a game.

What has Mullen accomplished? A 9-win season? In the last 5 years, everyone in the SEC has won 9 games in a season except UK and UT (on self-probation for half of that).

 

[121Josey]

The Stans/RR debacle might have made SS gun shy. Rightfully so I guess.

ADs must realize that if a coach is hired to "clean up" the program, the new coach must clean without taking the furniture outside and setting fire to it. Croom might have had a few more wins (and I stress FEW) if he would have worked with Jackie's talent instead of running it off. Mullen "inherited" a load of talent, which he has yet to replenish.

 

[aTotal360]

The problem I had with the RR hire is that he seemed to be Plan F. I think SS thought he could wave a couple million dollar check around and the resumes would start piling up. Hell, I think we all thought that to some extent. You have to have some sort of ace-in-the-hole to fire someone.

If he does let Mullen go, and the rehire takes longer than 72 hours, we, and he, are 17'ed.

 

[whosyourdawgy]

Haha. This is happening behind the scenes. Haha. Good gracious this board has lost it. We are pulling a Petrino to Auburn deal with Hudspeth

 

[whosyourdawgy]

And with some if not nost of our fans on our message boards there is always gonna be a divided fan base You will have the rational ones and the irrational ones. Hell, from Relf/Russell, Russell/Dak 2012, Russell/Dak 2013, Perkins/name another, Stricklin/Byrne. Some of you 17ers wouldn't be happy with Saban as head coach and Brady as our qb. It is the life of MSU message board heroes.