What everybody knows, but is too afraid to say...

[croomin]

If we somehow lose Mullen in this year's coaching carousel and Stricklin is up to the plate to rick-ray our football program, say goodbye to happy days. Byrne was a pro; Strick is a featherweight that likes hashtags and tweeting. This thought is in the back every dawg fan's head, but all of us do well to pretend it's not there. The suppression is pretty amazing really. You just thought Crooms was bad.

800-pound Gorilla anyone?

 

[gtowndawg]

Don't mean to burst your bubble, but it's been talked about...

just this week in fact. Me and several others talked about how the thought scares us to death.

But I don't see Mullen going anywhere so hopefully this is a moot point.

 

[Shmuley]

Not everyone has been afraid to say it.

Keenum, I'm looking at you, MFer. Do not let it happen again.

 

[MedDawg]

You don't think Stricklin could hire Mark Helfrich or Dan Quinn for $2M a year?

(who is Mark Helfrich?)

He's the Oregon offensive coordinator. #5 team in the country, and clearly one of the top offenses in the nation. Fairly equivalent to Mullen when he was hired by Byrne.


(who is Dan Quinn?)

He's the Florida defensive coordinator, #4 team in the country, and the #3 scoring defense in the NCAA. Also fairly equivalent to Mullen when he was hired by Byrne.

 

[Coach34]

whut???

Strick will only have a part-say in the football hiring. Much different than basketball. That said, we have Hud lined up for the most part if Mullen leaves- but will talk to a few others before making a final decision.

And Ray isnt looking too bad so far...the coaching and effort is exactly what we were looking for...we'll see on the recruiting

 

[esplanade91]

I don't know. I think Byrne established a really good "list" system before he left. If Mullen leaves, I'm almost 100% sure Hud ends up here. We have a plan in place. Without Hud I'd end up shitting my pants if Mullen left. Strick would go find a relative unknown just to say "boom! You didn't know after all!" and tell us all he has character.

I don't feel like finding it but he said in an interview (about Ray's hiring) that if a rumor breaks out of someone they're looking at becoming coach they throw his resume away. Cut off your nose to spite your face type deal.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

If we hire Hud after barely a cursory interview process, I doubt I'll be the only one severely pissed. Hud probably isn't even in my top 3 right now. I'd interview Sonny Dykes, Kliff Kingsbury, and Mark Helfrich all ahead of Hud right now. And those are just offensive guys. There are plenty of other good defensive candidates that deserve a look, too.

 

[croomin]

One would hope so, but...

you must remember most outsiders will continue to see Mullen as a definitive success in a challenging program and make all of the short-lists, often with infeasible candidates above him. A couple of swings and we could easily be in a bidding war. Powers that be need to be countin' their nickels.

And no, I don't think this reality is discussed on equal terms to its probability and downside risk.

 

[HueFreeze]

msu football is also reguard just a tad of above where the great Stans left our program nationally...

3 straight bowl games
23 game sellout streak, did we make 24?
25m practice facility
expansion
a great foundation of young players
depth at almost every position

or

practice facility
program missed ncaat last 4 years
a top 15 team, that flamed out down the stretch
4-6 top scorers jetting
a whole recruiting class bailed before stansbury even left

 

[DawgBot]

You'd rather have Kliff Kingsbury? Maybe he's a good hire...but he has only been an offensive coordinator for 2 years. I would have to take Hudspeth over him at the moment.

I think we would take a run at Fedora.

 

[futaba.79]

Byrne didn't do anything special................

in his hires. He got an alum that really wanted the job in Cohen. I wouldn't call that an amazing feat. In his second attempt, he hired an unproven coordinator. The unproven coordinator remains unproven, though he has shown flashes of promise.

If Stricklin made a mistake in his Bball search, it was reading on the sixpack how attractive our job is. When/if Ray gets players Stricklin might look like a genius. The team plays harder than it has in years and looks like its coached, that's for sure. And I'm a Stans supporter.

 

[War Machine Dawg]

Damn, forgot about Fedora. He'd be ahead of Hud, too.

 

[Coach34]

If we hire Hud after barely a cursory interview process, I doubt I'll be the only one severely pissed. Hud probably isn't even in my top 3 right now. I'd interview Sonny Dykes, Kliff Kingsbury, and Mark Helfrich all ahead of Hud right now. And those are just offensive guys. There are plenty of other good defensive candidates that deserve a look, too.

Just because they are a good coordinator, it doesnt mean they will be a good HC. The job isn't 100% Hud's if Mullen left tomorrow- but he would be the odds on favorite. We know what we would get in Hud and we also know he wants the job badly. We would definitely talk to a few others and see what they had to say- and somebody else could blow us away, much like Mullen did.

I feel like the next football hire would be hard to mess up.

 

[lasher8]

I don't know. I think Byrne established a really good "list" system before he left. If Mullen leaves, I'm almost 100% sure Hud ends up here. We have a plan in place. Without Hud I'd end up shitting my pants if Mullen left. Strick would go find a relative unknown just to say "boom! You didn't know after all!" and tell us all he has character.

I don't feel like finding it but he said in an interview (about Ray's hiring) that if a rumor breaks out of someone they're looking at becoming coach they throw his resume away. Cut off your nose to spite your face type deal.

I wish you'd find that quote and link it because I'm having a really hard time believing he said that...

 

[croomin]

If anything, our BASKETBALL program...

...has proven to be a much more durable, competitive destination over time with relatively sound support when compared to conference constituents. And we got Ray. Could easily fall in the hole in football hiring, which would be unbearable for us all.

I would like to stay the course and hope we are prepared to do so when called to the plate.

 

[maroonmania]

Good gracious people....

give Ray at least 3 seasons before you call his hiring a disaster (or even bad). NOBODY knows right now how the Ray hire is going to work out so dogging the hire is asinine. Given the shape of the program and unless we were willing to pay about double what we are paying Ray, then he may have actually been the best we could have gotten given we apparently wanted to stay away from some of the shady recruiting connection coaches out there. I know one thing, I feel a HECK of a lot better knowing Strick and Keenum would make a hire over anything LT would have come up with if it came to it relative to football. And a lot of you same folks who want to say Byrne was the king of all ADs are the same ones now saying that we have probably peaked (at 6 to 8 win type seasons) with the football HC he hired for us. Step back from the ledge please.

 

[croomin]

Look, Ray has no pedigree.

He may turn out to be fine over time, but there's no reason to believe it by looking at him on paper. That's pretty clear. It would be like hiring an assistant football coach North Caroline or something.

 

[maroonmania]

Wasn't he the associate HC at Clemson?...

He may turn out to be fine over time, but there's no reason to believe it by looking at him on paper. That's pretty clear. It would be like hiring an assistant football coach North Caroline or something.

not that Clemson is a power but its at least in a BCS conference that gives a flip about basketball (unlike the SEC). He also coached at Purdue which is a pretty decent basketball school. Mullen's only pedigree before coming here was being tied to the hip with Meyer for 10 years.

 

[HueFreeze]

you would think that, but the way our alumni and boosters under-minded Stricklin because they somehow deemed he ran Stansbury off or forced him out and they didn't like the fact that they weren't asked to help, yet they were lead to believe we were going to do things different.

You can also factor in as great and durable as you think our basketball program is, the national preception isn't the same ...we had a good run in 1996, we haven't been close anytime since ...people don't leave mid majors to go rebuild mediocre success, when they can get to where they want to go at the mid-majors.

if you can't see that the last 4 years of football is better because of mullen, i can't do much for you...
Coaches don't look at the last 10 years when accepting the job they look at what is in house

Mullen saw some ok pieces in house, but he was told he would get to build everything from the practice facility up ...Mullen was sold a plan for the future not just a job as a coach of a football team. He is the CEO of everything Football and he has the 100% acceptance and support of the President and Athletics Dir to do whatever he dreams of ...you don't get that everywhere

 

[HueFreeze]

i think Ray coaching last years team would beat Stansbury's team...

 

[starkvegasdawg]

Why not go after Peterson again if that should happen? Looks like we were there before the Mullen hire so why not knock on that door again?

 

[tenureplan]

maybe

As long as he wasnt allowed to suspend and dismiss everybody

 

[croomin]

NO*

NT

 

[was21]

doubtful if Fedora interested in coming back to state of Mississippi...Chapel Hill NC is pretty nice and he has less pressure and a damn good salary...practically the same salary Mullen is getting.

 

[engie]

Damn, forgot about Fedora. He'd be ahead of Hud, too.

Really? Fedora?

That guy is one of the worst coaches in the country relative to his teams' talent levels, both at USM and at UNC. He even managed to lose to Duke this year for UNC's 2nd time in TWENTY TWO years...

 

[maroonmania]

Your ignorance is showing...

NT

from Ray's bio -- "Prior to his arrival in Starkville, he spent two seasons at Clemson, where he was associate head coach to Brad Brownell. He also spent four successful years on the staff of Matt Painter at Purdue. Ray began his Division I coaching career at Indiana State, where he served for seven seasons."But don't let facts stop you from running someone down.

 

[croomin]

Nah, just read too fast. Associate HC? Who cares.*

NT

 

[engie]

Apparently you do, since you bashed him based on lies...

What is your agenda exactly?

 

[RedSoxDawg]

If we hire Hud after barely a cursory interview process, I doubt I'll be the only one severely pissed. Hud probably isn't even in my top 3 right now. I'd interview Sonny Dykes, Kliff Kingsbury, and Mark Helfrich all ahead of Hud right now. And those are just offensive guys. There are plenty of other good defensive candidates that deserve a look, too.

I agree about Hudspeth, he is way down the list. Wasn't impressed with him when he was here and not impressed with him now. Just my opinion but if Mullen left and we settle foe Hud it will be a failure.

 

[BehrDawg]

Strick wouldnt be the one responsible for making the hire.

 

[croomin]

I just thought it said HC. My mind ommitted the Associate, probably ...

...because it's an immaterial point. My bad.

 

[engie]

I agree about Hudspeth, he is way down the list. Wasn't impressed with him when he was here and not impressed with him now. Just my opinion but if Mullen left and we settle foe Hud it will be a failure.

A failure? Seriously?

You weren't impressed with a guy that won national titles in D2... and now you aren't impressed with a guy that is taking ULL to their first TWO bowl games in their d1 HISTORY? He won their first bowl game since they were a JUNIOR COLLEGE in 1944. Oh, but they went to the Grantland Rice bowl in 1970 as a member of the Gulf States Conference!

He's going to win 17 or 18 games in two years there. The last time that happened @ ULL? Good luck.

2010 - 3-9
2009 - 6-6
2008 - 6-6
2007 - 3-9
2006 - 6-6
2005 - 6-5
2004 - 4-7
2003 - 4-8
2002 - 3-9
2001 - 3-8
2000 - 1-10
1999 - 2-9
1998 - 2-9
1997 - 1-10

 

[NCDawg.sixpack]

Saw Hud's team play the mighty Florida Gators right down to the end. They really should have won the game. I think he is a good recruiter, and a good motivator-think he would be just what we need.

 

[maroonmania]

Hud would do us a good job...

Saw Hud's team play the mighty Florida Gators right down to the end. They really should have won the game. I think he is a good recruiter, and a good motivator-think he would be just what we need.

and would likely recruit better than Mullen especially in MS.

 

[DAWG61]

I like Hud, his video of "taking the checks to the bank" is 17ing awesome and his "secure the rope" thing is good too but I gotta admit I want Cliff Kingsbury and I have no facts or proof to back him up I just simply have a gut feeling that he is a total bad *** hire. He's only 33 and if he is that bad *** hire than MSU will be a top-notch football school for the next 30 years. It's a risk I think MSU should take.

Oh and the Rick Ray hire is the biggest wtf moment I've ever had with any team in any sport when they hired someone. Hope he's good but taking 6 scholarship players to Maui and only having a total of 8 on the bench is not a good sign. Look at any SEC roster, they almost all have 14 or 15 players listed. Some teams (non-sec) have 16 players. Don't tell me coaches don't recruit walk-ons. I'll give Ray a pass for now but if he starts next season with less than 13 players again I'll want him gone already.

 

[BiscuitEater]

Yea ...

And Ray isnt looking too bad so far...the coaching and effort is exactly what we were looking for...we'll see on the recruiting

It was that win over Alcorn that sealed the deal! Now that was some good coaching.

 

[RocketDawg]

How about the Rutgers coach?

 

[dawgphd]

Hud to MSU is the UM nightmare. And they know it. Especially with the foundation Mullen has laid.

As bad as Mullen is hated, deep down they know Mullen is only a temporary thorn in their side.

Just watch. They'll push Hud as hard as Mullen to other schools.

He is a winner. Would lock up Mississippi. And would be aggressive from a scheme standpoint. His players love him.

Most importantly he would be not be temporary and he hates UM.

 

[TexasBulldog11]

Hud to MSU is the UM nightmare. And they know it. Especially with the foundation Mullen has laid.

As bad as Mullen is hated, deep down they know Mullen is only a temporary thorn in their side.

Just watch. They'll push Hud as hard as Mullen to other schools.

He is a winner. Would lock up Mississippi. And would be aggressive from a scheme standpoint. His players love him.

Most importantly he would be not be temporary and he hates UM.

Great analysis. Hope it happens

 

[skb124]

Its a whole heck of a lot more qualified than Kenny Payne