Scott Roussel of FootballScoop reported on Monday Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen is a candidate to replace Frank Beamer as Virginia Tech's next head coach. Roussel also reported North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora is not interested in the position, but Whit Babcock is considering SMU head coach Chad Morris.
As recently as last week there was significant buzz in the coaching profession that Fedora himself might be the man to follow in Beamer's footsteps, but sources tell FootballScoop that Fedora has let the powers that be know that he is not a candidate for the position at Virginia Tech.
Babcock is one to do his homework, make up his mind and then make it happen. Sources tell us we'll see evidence of that again with this hire, which many in the profession expect to occur within the next seven days. In making some calls this morning, FootballScoop heard from a number of sources that Dan Mullen is a serious candidate for the position.
Comments
I'm so ready for this search to be over with.
Ha! I think its kind of fun - primarily because I know the end is in sight and by this time next week its likely that we will know who our new coach is.
With that said, I dont want to do it again anytime soon.
Yeah, it's distracted us from more retching on the offense.
Well if the Defense had played in the fourth quarter, the 24 points/400 yards the offense produced would have been enough to win.
D kept us in that game...can't blame them that it took 3/4 of the game before the offense woke up.
My point is that both sides had good parts and bad parts. It was a team loss. Special teams had a punt blocked and missed fg. Offense had a two arm punts and a bunch of missed/dropped passes. The defense let Hood walk into the endzone untouched twice. No part of the team should be blamed for the game. They all had bad parts while playing their hearts out.
Agree. The lack of receiver depth really showed up in this one. The receivers dug down deep very late in the game, but were gassed much of the 2nd half. And that manifested itself into the D being on the field too much and leading to things like Hood being untouched.
The offense only had a chance at those numbers because the defense had big turnovers and stops
So let me get this straight...VT's D created UNC's turnovers and VT's O created VT's turnovers?
Yes... our defense stripped the balls. Our offense threw picks to the defense... and our special teams let a guy through to block a punt.
I think that blocked punt had more to do with a bad snap than anything else.
Correct, I forgot about that. Regardless, my points were defending the statement that was being joked about above.
So the UNC guys didn't make good plays on the picks? The UNC guy didn't make a good play on the strip of Rogers?
This is a typical fan's biased myopic view of a game. I'm willing to bet that the exact opposite is being said on UNC sites about the turnovers.
nerd
Typical.
If the defense doesn't get two turnovers late and hold UNC's car shredder of an offense down below its seasonal numbers the VT offense doesn't put up 24 points and 400 yards.
Win as a team, lose as a team. No finger pointing. Wish this was said more.
For the players, sure. As fans we're allowed to see and comment on which unit pulled their weight and which unit set the game on fire with ineffective play for the majority of the game.
Short term, that's very true.
Long term, there's a pretty clear trend and an awful lot of years of bullshit flags to pick up.
Seriously?? UNC went <40 yds for FG & 45 for TD due to our mistakes, then the D forces 2 fumbles to set us up just to get the chance to tie
For me it was fun for about a week... but now...
If we hire Dan Mullen I'm changing teams
why?
Bye
Felicia!
I heard UVA has some available seats!
I get maybe not liking a coach. but I don't care if we hired cav man himself im not switching teams. ill just be on TPK b*tchin a lot more than I normally do to you guys until hes gone or maybe we can revamp the old #FBS.com and rename it but no matter what..... #Hokie4life
Haha the perfect picture
Dan Mullen just keeping with tradition of head coaches making funny faces.
Great replacement face for the "Who Farted" look. Now we could get the sly "Wasn't Me probably the dog" look
http://collegespun.com/national/video-dan-mullen-danced-in-the-locker-ro...
He also dances.
Whit, hire this man.
I think this is one of the biggest tidbits hidden in between the names. Happy Thanksgiving I suppose.
Would this only be possible for coaches who are not in a bowl game? I know that most coaches wouldn't want that hanging over their heads trying to coach a post season game, i.e. their team knowing they are leaving.
Strange times in Hokie Nation, finally dealing with the turmoil that most schools deal with every couple of years, or if you are Pitt, every 8 months.
There are many coaches who get hired away to another job and leave before the bowl game.
Pretty much, the only folks off the table at the moment are those that are still playing through December 5, either in regular season or conference championship games.
Good example of this is Dave Doeren. Became a commodity at NIU, took them to the Orange Bowl in 2012. NC State had fired Tom O'Brien, then hired Doeren. NIU had an interim for the Orange Bowl and Doeren went as a spectator and cheered on his former team.
FWIW, Doeren is also an example of a hot commodity at the mid-major level that has been less than overwhelming at the power 5 level.
Same could be said for a lot of P5 coaches that move jobs. Simple fact is this: all coaching hires are a gamble.
Yep. A much bigger crap shoot than folks think it is.
So I know this happens, but does college football have tampering rules when it comes to coaches?
I'm seeing fewer hiring announcement scenarios where I'm not popping bottles.
BREAKING: Every football coach currently at a team in the NCAA and NFL are potential canidates for the VT opening.#SAUCES
And most of them want to be mentioned as such in the press.
#counteroffer
It's called " Leveraging" for more cash or a better contract. Don't like , but seems that is the way the game is played today.
"Right now I'm just 'Mullen' over my options" *WINK
- Whit Babcock
Dan Mullen - the Tom Herman before there was Tom Herman, but not as successful as Tom Herman. It's like the consolation prize of not winning out on Tom Herman, but still pretty good.
This would be the Buzz Williams hire in the football realm.
Buzz is no consolation prize, who else was considering VT?
That was a home run and will pay dividends if given the chance to grow.
First Step: get out of the ACC basement
Buzz Williams was the Shaka Smart consolation prize.
The thoughts are mutually exclusive.
1) Relation to Tom Herman: Mullen was Meyer's OC at Florida, thus the Tom Herman before Tom Herman. It's just that Tom Herman's name is hotter in 2015 than Mullen's name in 2008. Herman was also immediately successful at Houston. It's just ironic that his name is popping up after the lust of VT fans at Herman.
2) This a Buzz Williams hire. Take a coach that's done exceedingly well at a major football school, but not in the best situation going forward. Miss St. will almost always be viewed as the "lower-tier" team of SEC west. Surpassing Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama, Auburn, and Texas A&M seems near impossible. He may have reached plateau at Miss St. VT provides a platform to reach higher levels. But on it's face, VT poaching him Miss. St. seems like an amazing hire for VT, yet somewhat a head scratcher. Why leave $4M and a chance to coach in the SEC?
Mullen took over the worst team in the SEC (4-8 the year before his arrival; worst record in the conference) and has now made a bowl game each of the last 5 years. Last year, he led them to back-to-back-to-back wins against the #8, #6, and #2 ranked teams in the country. He got them to a #1 national ranking midseason-- a ranking Tech has never held. He has been an assistant on 2 national championship teams as well as another team that went 13-0. He helped mold Tim Tebow into a Heisman winner and one of the best college players of his generation, tutored Alex Smith to become the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft, and developed Dak Prescott into a 1st team All-SEC QB. This would be a great hire.
I'll take one of those with a side of Bud Foster.
I 100% agree. Explanation of my thoughts are above. But, yes, I think Mullen is as good as hire as Herman, maybe better. It's just, on its face, Herman is the hottest up-and-coming, grass-is-greener coach right now and Mullen is not even in discussion. Thus, on its face, Mullen is the older, already tried version of Herman.
If he can make Motley and/or Lawson look like Dak Prescott then I will be a happy Hokie
As soon as I saw this article, I knew Fedora was using the VT potential offer to get UNC to commit to facilities upgrades...
Tarheels Article
Yeah.
Everybody got ta get paid.
I didn't need that article to know Fedora's agent was planting this whole thing. Amazing how many people who not only bought into it, but doubled down when told it was highly unlikely...
What Mullen has done at Mississippi State is pretty impressive. Before him, their longest consecutive bowl streak was 3, now it is six and counting. He's a guy that would keep Bud as well. Seems to be a pretty good recruiter at a place which historically hasn't recruited well at all before and he fits the spread offense bill that it has been speculated is what Whit is seeking. Sounds like a home run hire to me if it happens.
As long as he leaves the cowbells behind.
I like the cowbells much more sturdy and louder than those gobblers they sell at the bookstore. I cant yell as much as I used to so I need other things to make noise for me. also so many nips and cuts from shaking my keys to death on my fingers that I rarely do that anymore. used to leave games looking like this.....
If he brought his cowbells that mean we would have to rename this site thecowbellplay.com!
lol true! man 3rd downs have been crucial this year though. they seem like the key play for the opposing team. pussy foot around and lose yards on 1st and 2nd and then pick up 3rd and long.
I have no #sauces, but I don't think it's a matter of who will keep Bud Foster, it's just a matter of can they get him to stay after getting passed over.
If Mullen and Bud can work together I'm all for it.
didn't he JUST sign a 3 year extension this past offseason? worth over $4M/year? i'd imagine there is a significant buyout clause in there. Is that something Whit is prepared to absorb?
Some food for thought.
Athletic Department revenue 2015:
Mississippi State $68.15 million
Virginia Tech $81.29 million
Endowment:
Mississippi State $394.9 million
Virginia Tech $817.8 million
4/5 star athletes produced 2010-2015:
Mississippi 38
Virginia 68
This is promising, but I'd like to know what paying him his salary ($4 million) would do to our assistant coaches budget.
Where are getting those revenue numbers? 2015 isn't even finished and revenues haven't been reported yet.
Wouldn't 2015 mean Fiscal Year 2015, aka July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015?
Ok. But I've not seen those numbers reported yet; what is your source?
I've got friends in low places.... shhh
I dunno, I wouldn't trust that source if I were you.
looks at past employers and see's Mississippi State-> Athletic Academic Counselor on it.. I might have a few connections.
P.S-> not saying its happening 100% but there is definitely a ton of interest and Mullen has/is looking for a place to go. He think's he's done everything he can at current place and wants to find another place/home with "stability and a legit path to conference championships and the playoff 4"
I know, it was an attempt at a joke that you shouldn't trust the 'source' which was yourself.
It failed.
:(
no worries.. This has been a crazy few months that's for sure.
So, if he leaves MSU after the run he has had, he's showing he's a 6-7 year guy and then moving on......
Hmmmmm...
which would be the norm now a days for HC's in the FBS. do well enough for a couple years and you inch up the food chain.
well, we're not going to get another 29 year guy
A lot of VT fans have to realize that we are not going to get another Beamer. The game has changed, no one stays at the same job for as long as Beamer did. If one of the conditions for the new head coach is that he has to stay for at least 10-15 years, then a lot of Hokie fans will be dissapointed to know those don't really exist anymore.
I mean, people are saying that Texas might take a run at Nick Saban and LSU is going to go after Jimbo Fisher... And that Charlie Strong could be on the move from Texas even if they don't fire him....
I mean, if we're seriously thinking we can get a 10+ year head coach when guys like that could be on the move in timeframes shorter than that, we're deluding ourselves.
This was my way of saying for all of us to prepare ourselves, nothing more.
I'm more worried we make the wrong choice and have NCAA sanctions after several years, than the fact that we have fully entered the Coaching Carousel Twilight Zone.
Mullen would be a home run hire. The benefits of a Hermanesque offense but with the years of experience that Whit wants.
But he's not as young and hip as Herman. Wonder how good of a recruiter he is.
Not sure if sarcastic or not but he is only 43. Looking at 247 his team rankings were:
2015 - 18th (10 - 4 stars)
2014 - 33rd (4 - 4 stars)
2013 - 23rd (1 - 5 star, 4 - 4 stars)
2012 - 26th (1 - 5 star, 4 - 4 stars)
2011 - 35th (2 - 4 stars)
I would like to think, given the talent in state compared to Mississippi, he would be able to increase the recruiting results he saw at Miss. State.
EDIT: Herman is 40
Expanding on this as I did more digging. I looked at number of 4*/5* kids in each state over 2011 through 2015 and how many ended up at each school.
Mississippi - 15 of total 37 (40.5%)
Virginia Tech - 10 of total 45 (22.2%).
If Mullen can hold the same percentage here we would be getting another 8 4*/5* kids over that timeframe
Does Mullen recruit a lot of JUCO's? Mississippi has a few JUCO's and it seems that a higher % of JUCO's end up 4 and 5 star recruits than normal recruits.
Thats a great question and too be honest I am not sure. I will go back later and look. I just looked high level by state and overall recruiting class.
that's the beauty of SEC schools.. tons of JUCO's in the area with tons of talent along with a more lenient academic process to get in.
CJ Reavis will end up in SEC for sure, he unofficially visited Ole Miss a couple weeks ago and was seen at Bama as well.
there is TONS of juco talent in our area as well. this exert is from 2013 and I couldn't find a lot of info nor do I have the time right now but this is the rule not the exception. this is from SB nation.
if we could just lock down hargrave that would be a huge upgrade. a lot of the folks that go there at one time were commits to us or strong leans to us and go there and then end up at another school.
Don't forget Fork Union as well. Seems to be the landing spot when our recruits don't qualify as well as other like Nijman this past year.
Fork Union and Hargrace are prep schools, not JUCO, which is a huge difference. Prep schools are private high schools that cost a ton of money and are intended to get test scores up, possibly add some core classes, and/or get more exposure to coaches, then apply as a freshman student. Post grad students attend one or two semesters. JUCOs are usually public institutions/colleges (think community college) where the students get a two year degree and apply as transfer students.
Hargrave shut down their football program in 2013.
VA is definitely a much more talent rich state than MS. Not only could we get a boost by him potentially keeping more kids in VA, but I also think it would be much easier for him to steal kids from UMD, PSU, Pitt, UNC, etc. in our surrounding areas than it is for him to try to take kids from Bama, LSU, UGA as well as all the FL and TX schools which is what he has to do now at Miss. St.
Is it weird I'm more excited about reading the words "Scot Loeffler will not be retained" than who the next head Hokie is?
Yes. That's weird.
QB coach. Great coaching tree and has taken Miss St as far as it can go. Sounds good to me, how is his personality and dealing with the community?
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/110591/dan-mullen-should-ask-himse...
Edit: I'm sold
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/10/dan-mullen-mississippi-state-megan-mulle...
I am 100% on the Mullen hype train. Choo choo bitches.
Last stop Blacksburg, VA. Repeat, last stop. #Sacksburg VA
If you scroll down a few articles on Football Scoop, you come across this -
http://footballscoop.com/news/at-least-17-georgia-high-school-head-coach...
I'm not sure how this applies to VT football, but holy sh*t. A different ballgame down there. This in addition to the fact that two SEC coaches with winning percentages above 70%, Richt & Miles, are on the hot-seat and you realize it truly is a different ballgame down there.
Okay guys cool your jets that site is owned by Ole Miss alumni and guess who Miss State is playing this week.
I've got nothing, a goose egg if you will?
Did you mean to make an Egg Bowl reference?
Yes
Haha, I see what you did there with the egg (bowl) joke
Yeah, if you look at the comments it seems like he does this every year.
Great virgin sex in the middle of a coach discussion.
OK BUT WHAT ARE HIS SPECIAL TEAMS STATS.
Not nearly as good as Justin Fuente's.
EASY just don't punt the ball. The offense needs the extra down anyway since typically Loeffler screws up one of the other three on a regular basis! Plus punting is overrated..
via GIPHY
Shit!! Another work day, another name that is brought to light as a candidate! It's like Whit is walking around spotting out chances to mess with people...
Sit, Sit take a seat, want to hear who the next coach is!
via GIPHY
I have more faith that Unicorns are real, at this point, then that anyone actually knows who the hell is our next coach other than Whit and the few people he trust will keep their mouths shut!
via GIPHY
Whit has proven time and time again that he knows how to keep a lid on things.
leak/announcement won't come from VT.. it'll come from the opposite school
(at least from what I've seen/been apart of)
YEA BABY!!!
via GIPHY
Mark May looks terrified
Probably due to Holtz's spit radius being too close for comfort!!
I miss these guys. How could people possibly think Danny Kanell and Joey Galloway would be/are an upgrade?
Those 2 guys are boring personified.
via GIPHY
Yeah like Zep's Good Times Bad Times!
I'm expecting Miss. St. to get wrecked next year after they lose Prescott. Maybe Mullen feels the same way.
My Dan Mullen interview questions:
1) Can you beat UVA?
2) Are you sure?
If 1) and 2) are both "yes," > Hired.
well shoot..there's 9 or 10 coaches that can say that every year...we've got all sorts of options
I should have clarified: his resume is pretty nice, so not many questions need to be asked.
But you are correct - there are others that I would only ask these two questions to as well: Morris, Fuente, Hermann, French, etc.
Based on that criteria I could walk into Whit's office right now and get the job.
Also:
1) Can you beat
UVATennessee?2) Are you sure?
If 1) and 2) are both "yes," > Hired.
Mullen is 1-0 vs. Tennessee - I like it.
Translation: Is your name anything OTHER than Al Golden?
All I know is that Whit will select the right head coach for VT. I'm willing to wait to see what Whit comes up with, rumors are just rumors.
Well that's no fun.
Just a stat: Mullen is currently in the $4 million / year contract range at Miss State.
Well we were paying James Johnson $800k or so and Buzz was at $2.5 Mil at Marquette so...
Hey, its Whit- no worries. :-)
We've got some equity in the Beamer Barn - perhaps JG Wentworth can get us the cash we need now.
What if I have a structured settlement in the Beamer Barn and I need cash now?
Then I'd recommend calling Marks and Harrison, and telling them you mean business.
*Kalfus and Nachman
757 > 434
877-cash now!
I would be very happy with this scenario
This would very much be the Whit kind of hire. Get someone who nobody is expecting, and do something that makes everyone step back and question their own understanding of our place in the sports world.
Poach a head coach from a SEC program that was ranked #1 last year? Yeah, that would do it.
Cool, but has Dan Mullen figured out how to stop the triple option yet?
If he keeps Bud, he won't have to
TRUTH
I would start with tackling, 3 missed easy tackles.
Yes. Keep Bud on staff.
All I saw was a whole lot of OLAY tackles
Are we sure the triple option is going to be back at Georgia Tech next year? I thought CPJ's seat was getting warm.
Only because he farted in his leather office chair and likes the feeling.... I don't see him going anywhere this year but if next year is a mess, different story.
He can still save his job with a win over UGA (a distinct possibility), but even if he doesn't, I don't think they will fire him after last year's success. I think he has another year. Not much smoke down here at least.
I think I recall somebody said he got another fully guaranteed contract extension after last years Orange Bowl. So probably he is around for a while unless they find a booster or twenty who can afford the buyout.
Nothing like the 69 yard FB dive TD run.
Wrapping your arms is a good place to start.
For a guy who tutored Alex Smith, Tim Tebow, and Dak Prescott, this would be huge. This could be a guy who really develops Dwayne Lawson into an all-star QB and maybe deliver us our first Heisman winner.
So your saying 1 out of 3 isn't bad!
I kid, I kid, I joke, I joke! Funny No?!
Should he second. Vick was absolutely robbed and only because he was a Freshman.
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/9/30/6868409/dan-mullen-mi...
Good article on Mullen's offensive philosophy. Being an Urban Meyer disciple, this is very much the smashmouth spread offense. And like Herman, he does a great job of mixing power and zone concepts in the running game. Always has a counter to any shift or adjustment the defense makes. Also like an Urban Meyer offense, the passing concepts are very simple and vertical, and the offense is focused on the running game from spread sets. I get excited reading about all the different ways he could use our personnel, including H Receiver (Stroman, Newsome) and B-Back (Sam Rogers, Chris Durkin). Sounds like Lawson is exactly his type of QB.
It would be so refreshing for our offense to actually have a legitimate identity. I'm salivating.
Thanks for the link.
Edit:
Meh
Proven winning coach in the toughest division in football. Young and has the offense we want. Great person. I would call it more than meh. That is just me though.
Not a great dancer. If Frank is a seven. Dan is a 3 or 4. Really needs to cut loose and find his rhythm. Very scripted... kinda like "do I have to do this?" Might have daughters who can make a guy in his mid 40s self conscious about his dancing.
See my comment below, now with a chance to look into him, I think I'd be happier than Meh. Since he isn't one of this year's hot coaches, I have been overlooking what he's done.
As one of the few RR supporters, would you take RR over Mullen?
Hell no.
Hold the phone there. I'm not rooting for RichRod but I think the out-and-out RichRod hatred ignores a ton of what he could bring to the table. I'm could only be considered a supporter because I stand in the neutral-positive area whereas most people stand in the highly highly negative area, and it makes me stand out.
As for RR vs DM? Hmm...I think I'm about even on those two.
Funny RichRod story...so were a big Hokie family, and my cousin brought her new boyfriend to thanksgiving, of course were all talking coaching rumors, and he goes "Well, I hope the Rich Rod rumors arent true" and Im like, I knew I liked this guy, and then he goes..."Id be devistated, Arizona is finally getting good, we need him to stay"....and I was like.....
apparently the kids from Arizona originally and went there, and he LIKES Rich Rod as their coach....I guess I just figured all fans hated him...funny ol world i'n'it.
Yeah, I'm in the meh zone as well.
But the more I look at these guys, the more meh I am with all of them.
I would have him behind Herman, Richt and Miles, ahead of Morris, Rhule and Bud. About the same with Fuente. I'm still warm on Smart, who is probably in the first group for me because of his recruiting prowess.
FTFY
XP
Getting recruits to Starkville is probably pretty difficult, even though it's an SEC school.
It's really hard to say how good any coach at the most desirable schools are at recruiting. Is Smart a good recruiter or does the Bama brand make it that easy? Seems to me that even Les Miles could luck his way into a good recruiting class because of LSU's location, conference, recent success etc.
From last Tuesday's defense of Smart as an elite recruiter:
It's not a hard google search to find anecdotes about the strength of Smart as a recruiter. He also has eight Rivals 5* recruits that he has been the leader recruiter on in his career at Bama. Foster isn't expected to land those 5* recruits, but Foster should be expected to land a similar number of 4* recruits. If there is an argument for how strong of a recruiter Foster is, please post. Here are some thoughts on Smart as a recruiter from a Bama writer:
Kirby Smart is the best recruiter on our board. I don't think he will get hired, but if he was, our recruiting would improve greatly.
I'm not saying he's not a good recruiter.
I'm just saying making that determination at an elite school is difficult.
For me, Smart would be last of the names you mention. Moot point anyway...the likelihood of VT hiring a coordinator with no HC experience other than Bud Foster is 0.01%.
Especially a *defensive* coordinator other than Foster. I actually give it a straight 0%.
Yeah, I don't think it will happen either. But if you ask me to put $10 on the two coaches VT is considering who will be the best HC 7 years from now, I would pick Tom Herman and Kirby Smart.
Can I ask why? Or ask to be pointed to where you have probably said this on one of the infinite other coaching threads? In almost every account he is exactly what we need/want, is he not?
Actually a buddy of mine texted me earlier today and suggested it, and my reaction was Meh. I suppose it comes from the excitement that I think other coaches would bring to the table. When I got home from work, I read all the new comments on this thread and this one, by DCHokie, stands out:
http://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/361960#comment-361960
I suppose I didn't know his background as much as I should have, but I can tell you for sure that when this was mentioned I thought to myself that he hadn't really achieved a high level of success anywhere as a head coach. Now that I look at his record and his history, it looks like his success has been farther under the radar than I was looking, but since he's been at Miss St since the 2009 season, I guess I just didn't notice him because he wasn't a 'hot' guy.
In hindsight, he wouldn't be an exciting hire, but I think you're right, he might bring a lot to the table that we need and/or want
This is the kind of response that makes TKP the freakin best. +1
Who do you want? Saban, Meyer or Belichick? Mullen would be a great hire for us.
Dan Mullen is a weird bird. That picture says it all. If he's the right fit, I'm all for it but why would he want to leave the "mighty, mighty" SEC? I think he's a good coach, but he just gives off a strange vibe about himself, especially his postgame interviews.
Because when Dak leaves they will be horrendous.he has built them to as high as they can go. At VT, he can go even high.
As a few others have mentioned above, he could very well have finally come to the conclusion that there's a "glass ceiling" in the SEC West for Miss St. He's had their best player in probably decades (Dak P), and still he's not sniffed a SEC West title.
I'd imagine he gets that there's a much easier path to the ACC Champ game than the SEC Champ game (and therefore, the final 4).
Dan Mullen in the Coastal
fox in the hen house
ftfy...the Coastal is historically bad right now.
Duke: 6-5
GT: 3-8
Miami: 7-4
Pitt: 8-3
UNC: 10-1
UVA: 4-7
VT: 5-6
The best team in a division that has seriously cannibalized itself has it's only loss to a 3-8 SEC East team. The ACC Coastal is arguably one of the weakest divisions in CFB right now. It wouldn't take much for a coach to come in and win the division.
True, to a point... What separates Mullen from some of the others is that he's already proven himself in the toughest division in college football. He is able to recruit well to a school where its always been tough to recruit towards, and he got success in a location nobody really has any business having success in.
He would do some serious damage in the college football world in the Coastal. Hungry wolf meets declawed kittens.
I'm not disagreeing with you at all. Just pointing out that the ACC Coastal is pretty bad this year. Really bad, actually.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next coach, whoever it is, comes in next year and goes 9-3 with losses to Tennessee, UNC and Notre Dame. Those are easily the toughest match ups on our schedule and I'm pretty sure any coach we hire can manage that type of season. The rest of our schedule is a cake walk because this division is terrible right now.
Yup, and it doesn't look to be getting significantly better anytime soon. That being said, if Miami does something crazy like bring in Chip Kelly and we bring in someone like Mullen, it would quickly get to where everyone thought it would be back in 2003.
lol and I'll edit to add on to your edit. I agree with the outlook for next year. We get a competent offensive mind here and we get him able to maximize our talent, we could be pretty good and a serious contender for the Coastal. We have the pieces in place to have a potent offense. Unfortunately, its being handled by a bunch of buffoons.
is the jury still out on whether it's a bunch of buffoons or just one buffoon?
Tom Herman is still sitting all alone at the top of my list. I think if we hire Tom he can get us to 10-2 at the worst next year. We have a bunch of talent and an easy schedule. I'm going to go ahead and put Dan Mullen at 2a with Fuente being my 2b. I think those guys both have a really good shot at getting us to 10-2 next year as well. My opinion is that Herman's chances at getting us to 12-0 are the same as Mullen/Fuente's chances at getting us to 10-2. I think that highly of him. I will be watching his career closely regardless of whether he's coaching in Blacksburg or not. I think that dude is going to be special.
I'm going to leave a picture of Mrs. Mullen right here:
I called this a few weeks ago (#nbd). I felt like Dan Mullen was the Buzz Williams hire and I loved Mrs. Mullen enough to feel like their family would be the perfect fit in the Blacksburg community. She's awesome: Link Here
Before you go patting yourself on the back so much let's wait and see if Dan Mullen actually gets hired...
I agree that he would be a great hire but until Whit calls a press conference to announce the next head coach I just refuse to buy into the flavor-of-the-day coach. Every other day a new name pops up as the most likely candidate for VT. On Saturday it was Chad Morris. Today it's Dan Mullen. Wednesday it'll be someone else.
You forgot Larry Fedora...
Great Cousin Eddie impression
I'm sold!!!
That was awesome.
When I think Dan Mullen, this is what enters my mind.
Can't wait to see which new name is the next "serious candidate" next week.
According to the article, a hire can be expected within 7 days. He could be the penultimate "serious candidate."
Hopefully, especially if LSU opens up like expected. Time is certainly of the essence.
Next week HAHA... I give it less than 24 hours and either Chip Kelly with pop up again or most likely someone we haven't considered. T
Rich Rod was a done deal a month ago. Then Fuente. Then Morris and Herman entered the fray. Last week Fedora was a strong possibility, now Mullen is. There will always be a looney or two that insist Mike Tomlin and Chip Kelly are legitimate candidates. Don't forget Mark Richt constantly lurking. Les Miles might be on the loose now too. I'm sure Charlie Strong would jump to the top of the list if he gets canned. Did I miss anything? We're running out of candidates haha
Bud!
+1. Don't know how I forgot him when he's been our head coach in waiting for the last 29 years.
I have to say it would be pretty funny if after all of the speculation, #sauces, etc that Bud was named the new HC.
Foster is kinda in there somewhere too.
FWIW: Mullen was the OC at UF while Loeffler was the QB Coach. Do you think, if he is hired, he keeps Loeffler as OC?I stand corrected...
False. Loeffler replaced Mullen as QB coach at Florida in 2009.
Mullen was OC/QB Coach at Florida from 2005-2008.
Loeffler was QB Coach 2009-2010.
There was never any overlap with Loeffler and Mullen at UF. Mullen left after the 2008 national title season to coach at Miss St., and Loeffler came in the following year as QB coach (from the 0-16 Detroit Lions, go figure) when Addazio took over as OC under Meyer.
I promised myself I wouldn't get my hopes up too much for any particular coach but I BROKE THAT RULE I WANT MULLEN SO BAD.
This was my immediate gut reaction as well. Especially after reading the articles that Fireman posted in this thread. I think he fits the bill in all categories.
If you don't think Mullen is a home run hire, you're trippin'.
Winning at Mississippi State ain't easy.
Winning at Miss St is like winning at Duke. To put this in ways we can better understand, its like a David Cutcliffe who can recruit better, get higher quality wins, and who is 20 years younger.
MSU has won the SEC West once. In their entire football history, they have one conference championship. The only SEC teams they have an all time winning record against are Kentucky and Vandy. They will never not be second fiddle to the Rebels.
Cutcliffe is a great comparison. Out of all the names we've heard rumored, Mullen's is my favorite.
I think he's a good coach but I also think he could help us sneak a good recruiting class in short time this year. If LSU and potentially UGA open up like some think in addition to Miami and USCe already being open, there are a lot of coachless commits/recruits in areas that he should be familiar recruiting in having been in the SEC for a while.
So who stands to gain from this leak...hmmmm. I will believe it when I see it.
I thought that too. But isn't Mullen fresh off signing a new contract? What motive would his camp have to leak this?
Ole Miss.
$4 Mil in 2015 with incentives to get to $4.27 Mil. Just signed (February 2015) extension till 2018.
sooo we know he's not looking to get more money.
The big question is whether he's cool with a Buzz Williams style minor pay cut / side-grade? I think we can afford $4 million.. $4.5 million might be pushing it. Of course most of us were shocked when the announcement came out that we'd be paying a basketball coach more than $2 million per season.... so who knows, maybe we do spring for $5 million.
Before we get too carried away (toooooo late), did some digging, and it is absolutely worth mentioning right now that FootballScoop and Coaching Search are owned and run by Scott and Pete Roussel, who purchased the site in 2008.
Why is this important to note? They both attended Ole Miss. Pete, who runs the coaching search segment, worked for the Rebels football team as a graduate assistant under David Cutcliffe after having Archie Manning call in a favor while he was a student.
Why is this important? Because its highly suspicious that they would break this story the week of the Egg Bowl, the annual matchup of Ole Miss and Miss St.
You're not wrong, but these guys run a legit operation and are usually on top of things. While your theory could be correct, it's kind of ridiculous to do given the reputation they have.
And how could this damage their reputation. Their entire business is run on posting things anonymous sources tell them. Their whole business concept is not about getting it right, but about posting rumors out there that end up being correct often enough to give them the appearance of being experts (which, in their case, is already earned). There's an understood agreement in place that not everything they post will happen, because that's not the nature of their business. And if they are seriously questioned on who they got the information from, they will not answer, because the nature of their job prevents it.
It really would be entirely too easy for them to throw a nugget like this out there, and watch it become a major distraction for their opponent during rivalry week.
I don't think you can assume that just because we don't know their sources that others don't. Either way, it's still a risk to do something like that. I understand your points, but you're assuming a lot here.
Nicely done, sir!
I was wondering if things would start to fire up this week on the mill of rumors of schools that have big rivalry games....
Next up - Malzahn to USC and Saban to LSU (again).
They are a reputable site though, why wou,d they hurt that rebutation to get a few fans riled up? Now I'm not saying he will be the coach but maybe this is what their #sauces are telling them. For any coaching news up until it's announced it all speculation. Things can change even the day of an announcement, just look at the whole Texas to the PAC 12, it just came out Texas had set up an entire press conference, even printing out handouts when it was cancelled that day.
As Warthog said, why would a site risk their reputation, one they've done a good job to form over 7 years now, to screw with an opponent? Only Mississippi State fans are playing that card.
Two counterpoints.. 1) that site generally has a reputation of reporting with integrity (as best you can with rumors & anonymous sources anyway). 2) Our own CWbtJ (used to work @ Miss. St.) has posted in this very thread that she's heard from her own connections that Mullen is looking to move on.
Name one time a newspaper or blog has been held "accountable" (whatever that is) for publishing inaccurate info on a coach search -- or on pretty much anything for that matter - regardless of whether their intentions are earnest or not.
The fact of the matter is that "news" sources like this get used like a cheap suit on this type of stuff all of the time by people with an ulterior agenda and yet people will go right back to them again the second they write something that gets their blood going.
Whoever it ends up being, one thing I know for sure is that Whit is going to make the right hire. He is one of the best in the business all around. Buzz Williams hire, #ThisIsHome campaign, sending CFB off in style. He gets it. No disrespect, but imagine who our next head coach could be if Jim Weaver was still around?
Bud Foster. Duh
Mullen has been number 1 on my wish list the whole time just didn't think it was possible. Lots of speculation that it might not be the usual suspects though and may be a bit of a surprise and He would fit that scenario. Talk about a home run.....not believing anything until there is a press conference though.
More from ESPN:
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/110591/dan-mullen-should-ask-himse...
Drink sir, it's a holiday week start early.
http://www.thekeyplay.com/comment/361846#comment-361846
you know who else is a serious candidate for the position? This guy:
Look at that face. You can't get more serious than that.
Would love to see this as well.
If it is Bud, we probably would have known by now
Agreed. I would love for it to be Bud, but if it's him, why not already announce it and give him the advantage on trying to keep the recruiting class together?
Respect for Frank... and keeps VT in the news longer. Stay quiet, interview away, and wait until after lolUVA to announce.
Basically stay the course regardless of whom the HC choice is. Whit's no dummy.
I have gone from talking myself into Fuente to talking myself into Morris to talking myself into Herman to talking myself into Mullen.
This needs to end.
agreed. sooner the better IMO
Mullen on job rumors "I love the one I have"
Quote on the situation from Mullen. Means next to nothing obviously, but relevant.
very good coach speak - doesn't deny any possibility of leaving, but says he loves his current situation.
"Those coaching rumors will really get after ya *sniff*"
Lord, please let the madness end.
The contract is on the table. It's just a matter of the guy saying yes. If he does all of you will probably know by next Monday maybe in next few days. My feeling is none of you will be disappointed if he does.
#SAUCES
But yeah, none of that would surprise me. Sounds like Whit has zeroed in on someone.
Yes he has from what I've been told by someone in the know. Until he signs it though nothing set in stone and even then it never is lol
is this one of Whit's new negotiation strategies? Pulling the contact out of his eye and putting it on the table would be a ballsy move and probably get me to agree to just about anything.
Done Deal Alert!
The one they been working on?
I think you mentioned Les Miles a couple weeks ago. Anything new with him, especially in light of the the recent noise out of Baton Rouge?
Nothing new other than I been told Whit has the contract on the table and it's not Les
You apparently haven't been watching the discussions on here. Someone is always going to be disappointed with a hire. I've yet to see a single candidate get the unanimous "yes, we need him" vote.
Unfortunately I have to agree with this. There will always be someone who is unhappy with the hire. I'll admit there are some coaches I would be unhappy with (Rich Rod, Lane Kiffin). You can't please everybody all the time. All you can do is try to please as many people as possible most of the time.
Absolutely. There are some coaches who will upset more people than others. There are some who will just be upset because who they wanted wasn't hired. Some won't like how much he's being paid while others won't like his assistants. But that's why we come here to discuss where the advantages of each situation are and how any decision, no matter how good or bad, can be beneficial to the program.
Can Mullen recruit? He's currently getting out recruited by Herman at Houston... (so are we)
Had the number 17th ranked class last year, believe he has consistently had his classes in the mid 20s to low 30s which is impressive at a place like Missisippi State where there aren't many selling points other than playing in the SEC West. I think he could take VT recruiting to the next level.
HIs class was ranked high because of Rivals' goofy rankings that reward big classes. On avg stars, MSU was # 29 at 3.14 stars. For comparison, VT was #25 at 3.25.
I like him as a coach, but I seriously doubt his hiring would make a substantive difference in recruiting (but then again I don't think any new coach that VT gets is going to make a substantive difference in recruiting).
I've seen you post this several times, so what do you think our recruiting ceiling is.. 20, 25, 15? I'm talking average, not one good year
Fair question.
About where it is. 20-25. Possibly a little higher, but the difference between, say, 17 and 25 is pretty insignificant.
I'd love to see VT move into being in the top 15 on at least a semi-regular basis like Miami, UCLA, Oregon, Auburn.
But I think Whit needs to pull a massive fundraising rabbit out of his hat to make that likely. And the next coach has to win 9,10,11 games a year. And the ACC Network needs to get going (or the model for the other league networks needs to fall apart). And FSU & Clemson need to continue to win & somebody else (Miami, UNC?) needs to step up and be more competitive on a regular basis -- or perhaps ND and/or Texas join the conference -- to give the ACC 4 or 5 good programs to make the ACC sexier.
And it wouldn't hurt if VT's student population grew by 30-50%...that equals more $$ down the road.
I mean aren't we already one of the biggest undergrads in the country???
No not even in top 15. VT is somewhere in the 30-40 range depending on what exact measurements you use.
I believe President Sands has said that was the 5 year goal.
This article tells me that Morris, RR, Fuente, Herman, Mullen...etc none of them have signed a contract to coach at VT and we are still looking. Nothing to announce if no coach has taken the job and there won't be an announcement tomorrow, or this Saturday or anytime until someone accepts.
Whit wants a done deal by the end of the season before the carousel gets in full swing and before the all important December official visit season and recruiting trail.
I don't doubt that but it's been 6 different coaches now according to sources haha so we know it will be either Bud, Fuente, Morris, or Mullen and RR and Fedora are out of it.
Despite what our hearts tell us, I don't think Bud is really in contention
RR is a have to kinda thing at this point if no one else works out. I don't think Bud is even in the running to be honest. Not a big enough splash
So at first glance I was like
After reading all the stuff about him and what he's done I'm all....
And finally I think all of us are all....
I can't believe some people wouldn't consider Mullen exciting enough. I honestly believe he's the best hire of all the names I've heard given his track record as a head coach. This would be a great hire folks.
Agree. I think he's the best name we've heard rumored so far.
So ppl on TSL are all but convinced it's Fuente now. There's a "grind iron" article out there that states that he's now the front runner, and that prelim negotiations have already occurred.
FWIW.
Really? I was just over there (on the public board) and I didn't see anything like this.
Wow how quickly things change. It was all Mullen there yesterday. Today, it's all Fuente. Tomorrow?
Harsin
Further along then prelim. All the way to being on table in writing all he has to do is sign from what I'm told.
Here's the gridiron article.
If true, it doesn't feel like a Whit hire. It kinda feels like settling early, taking the easy, safe way out. Fuente would be a good hire, but not the best hire VT could have pulled off.
I agree with this.
And with Les Miles apparently on the hot seat - and thus possibly putting even more musical chairs into play -- I can't see Whit or any outside coach locking in just yet.
I agree. Contrary to all the "done deal" articles and posts we've seen, I don't think anything is a done deal yet. I think we're getting down to the wire and that a pool of a few candidates are in consideration. Whit will do his homework and get the guy he wants.
I just keep thinking about all the things we've heard from or about Whit, as far as not believing what you read, and there is a reason for every leak. From that and what I've read elsewhere, I think the Pat Forde news is coming from another school who had interest in Fuente and may have been turned down. I definitely think he's a finalist, but I don't think anything is certain quite yet.
A few weeks ago my heart was screaming for Bud to get a chance. A week or so ago I was on the Fuente train. A couple of days ago I was really wanting Tom Herman. Now I'm really liking the idea of Dan Mullen. This is making my head hurt.
LES MILES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MOR MILES!!!!!!!!!!!!
not sure why people want the process to end so quickly. This is the first time in forever that we get to go through this. We should be enjoying it and relishing in the fact that we are considered such a high position of want. Now if (fingers crossed, knock on wood) we are several years down the line and on our 2nd or 3rd round of this, that's when to be tired of it.
I for one am loving the attention and love. tomorrow's a new day, wonder who the next candidate is gonna be!
Probably because a school wants a coach in place because a lot of recruiting takes place in the first few weeks of December and it's better if you have a coach in place. Wait too long and you get left behind. Plus we are fans so therefore we have NO PATIENCE lol
yep I understand the point, but the first year of a new coach is always a wash for recruiting. Enjoy the ride.
As a fan, I'm enjoying the ride and discussion myself. However, there are plenty of advantages to Virginia Tech having its coach in place sooner rather than later.
It's fun to talk about...but I'm starting to grow weary of the discussion. The overconfidence in each rumor baffles me. At first it was exciting but I'm starting to get to the point where I wish they would just name the next coach already so we can start analyzing his background and doing deep dives into film reviews of teams he's coached. This speculation step is tired and we need to get to that next step soon.
all that being said, I think we can all be happy that Christmas is coming to Blacksburg early this year :D
This information about Dan Mullen is the first thing that has actually interested me during the coaching search for the last week or so. Everything else is just #marinades and people spitballing random stuff. At least Mullen entering the conversation is newsworthy, because he was a very under-the-radar kind of guy before this. It was floated by a few people around here, but the focus has always been on RichRod, Richt, Herman, and Fuente, for the most part. Those are obvious names but it's intriguing to me as more possibilities enter the discussion.
I really just want an announcement. We have a whole offseason of
hand-wringingdiscussion and analysis to look forward to with a new HC and new staff.Yea, but Whit will make us wait until at least next week. The spitballs will intensify over the next week:
via GIPHY
If it were a different year, I might enjoy a longer ride. It seems like there are many more openings this year and the possibility of more high profile to come. I'll sacrifice the ride for the opportunity at a better hire before something else opens up. For instance, say we are in the running to get Mullen, but now LSU opens up. I know they will drop $15M+ to buy out Miles, but I still would not want to get in a bidding war with them over Mullen or some other candidate.
The ultimate curveball would be Mike Tomlin.
Bear Bryant or bust
Zombie Vince Lombardi?
- Zombie Vince Lombardi
How about this guy...
Yeah, I'm stuck on the OG Bad News Bears this week.
If you watch Mullen presser from yesterday, pretty awkwad dismissal of the ? re: open jobs and his name being mentioned.
"You're either getting hired or fired and I'll take being hired because it means we're winning"... "I don't like commenting on other jobs, I like the one I have.... don't have much else besides that". Awkward chuckle follows.
Everyone is stuck on a "Whit Hire" or a "Buzz Hire". He has hired two people in the past. You cant expect a future hire based on the past performance of TWO hires. In those instances, he hired the guy who he thought gave the program the best opportunity. Maybe the most obvious hire, just so happens to be, the best for the program.
This hire without contest, is the most important decision of his entire career thus far, I'm sure he's thinking long and hard about who he hires, regardless of whether or not it fits his M.O.
When I think of a "Buzz Hire," I don't necessarily think of a guy that simply comes out of nowhere, and I seriously doubt Whit looks at message boards just to make a list of guys he can't get because they're too mainstream. To me, a "Buzz Hire" means everyone is talking about a small group of coaches, then Whit announces his choice and everyone's reaction is, "... oh yeah, that's much better. Let's do that." So Mullen would be the ultimate Buzz Hire IMO, since while his name has been floated, he's also been largely written off - too expensive, why would he leave the SEC?, reportedly has said no to Whit before, etc. More importantly, I think he'd be a slam dunk of a hire, one that the vast majority of the fan base would be very, very happy about.
All that said, the last lines of your comment sum this situation up perfectly. Whit could give a sh!t (new t-shirt slogan at some point?) who people are talking about or not, he just wants to go get the best football coach he can.
If you like 10 win seasons, Les Miles is about to be let go from LSU it seems.
I'm still amazed by that. What head coach wants to walk into that job?
I would take any job, if I could get a contract that reads, "If you fire me, you must pay me $15M." I would take the stress, the bad press, the shit from the fanbase for a few years if I could get that payout.
Truckloads of money makes up for lots. Shoot, I'd walk away from my current job for 1% of that.
With the talent LSU pulls in 10 win seasons are the floor.
*latest update* as always take with a grain of salt but hearing Mullen and the staff he wants to bring is a tad too expensive but they're trying to make it all work.
Very interesting. Any idea if Mullen would replace all staff including Bud? Thanks for posting. I really really hope it's Mullen.
no clue.. the nitty gritty stuff in terms of who is in the coaching staff is unknown.
I've got eight dollars.... how close am I?
I've found a dollar for you...
Ohhhhh you gotta be faster than that.
Then let's start a fucking kickstarter or go fund me or whatever those damn kids are doing these days.
Mullen is the best proven head coach of all the names mentioned. I still think it is highly unlikely that it happens. I would be pleasantly surprised. Any hire of out of Mullen, Herman, Fuente, or Morris would be fine with me, especially if Bud is retained.
Is Mullen still in the running as there is a ton of smoke pointing towards Fuente?
I'be been wondering the same. I'm on board the Mullen train now, he successfully turned around a P5 dumpster into a once #1 team. I like Fuente but with Mullen we know he can coach in the P5 and specifically in the hardest division in college football.
If we can, I want Whit to lock down Fuente immediately and not hope for something better to come along. A (great) bird in hand...
With his defense!
Mullen is still being worked on... Not many more details
I want!!!!!
So badly!!!
#Sauces?
So what is your #sauces take on everything pointing towards Fuente?
So does Whit have a budget or is he making up his own numbers?
Whit's budget is however much money he thinks he can raise after he makes the hire.
To a point but he can't just make up numbers either, Sands and the Board can overrule him.
True, which is why Whit needs to sell his fundraising vision just as well as our next coach needs to sell his recruiting/winning vision to Whit.
My take on Mullen is that he's ready to get out of Starkville with Dak graduating, wanting to get to the mid Atlantic and looking for a raise. I would imagine VT offers everything but a big raise. Mullen may also balk at keeping Bud, wanting to bring his own guy. That leaves VT exposed to about $1.2m+, but I understand that would go away if Bud takes another job.
Mullen is a lot like Fuente, but probably $1m+ more. I don't like him that much more than Fuente.
Now, this is comical... Mullen and LOLUVA
http://www.streakingthelawn.com/2015/11/25/9799206/virginia-football-coa...
If this was leaked out there my initial thoughts are that he is seriously interested in our job. IF there have been discussions and is some interest between Mullen and our school this could have been leaked by his agent to put pressure on us to hire him and or come up with more money if that is an issue. Just another way to say if you don't hire me or meet my demands, I will make your life miserable. Obviously just purely speculation based off of a potential rumor. I would think Whit would have to call his bluff if it came down to it...no way in hell he would go to UVA.
They have money and Mullen wants to get back to the midatlantic. I could see it.
They have 4.5 million base to pay a new HC?
Yep, if they wanted to. Donor base is much, much stronger than VTs. Their concerns are how much to commit to football. I expect it could be a lot, they have great fan support across the board in other sports, but those fans have all opted out of football due to a lack of commitment from the administration. This was a similar situation to where they were after Jones -Gillen-Leitao in hoops. So they found an experienced coach, paid him, and the fans came back en force.
I could see them pursuing a Mullen like guy for $4m+ or Pete Lembo for $1.2m. It could go either way, but they got the cash to do whatever they want.
Where was all this cash when they cut sports? Where was this cash when they ran from the ACC which they helped form to join the BIG to get more money? You keep talking about all these donors and cash Maryland has yet there spending and financial statements don't bear this out the last 5 years.
Edit: sorry I thought you were referring to Maryland
He was talking about UVA, not Maryland.
I understand UVA could potentially have a pile of money to throw at him. BUT....the school he is at is already paying him a ton of money. He is being paid over 4 mil currently and if rumors are correct looking to get out of dodge. So tell me what is the upside? Its UVA. Its less of a football school than what he is at now. Best case scenario they could give him a slight raise. So he is going to leave Mississippi State where he has been developing the program for several years to go to UVA? It doesn't make any sense.
If you can win at Miss St, you can win at UVA. Not many barriers to win at UVA. They've got money, location, facilities and a strong brand recognition. It should be anticipated that no matter who UVA pucks, they will improve.
That's been said going back about 3 coaches for them
Yep, they used to say that about their basketball team too.
1.) We are talking football.
2.) Just another reason why a big time football coach wouldn't be interested in a basketball school.
I'll argue culture and facilities. IMHO they're really middle tier in both respects. There was a article recently discussing culture and why some really good coaches fail and it sure smelled a lot like LOLUVA
Exactly. Damn sure not a job you leave an SEC job paying 4 million a year currently to take.
But I would think Mullen would want to take a step up from where he is, Not rebuild another program. At UVA he would have to turn that program completely around as to if he came to VT he would just have to improve things a little bit.
Fill me in...why does he want to get to mid atlantic or what is the history there? First I heard of...
Both Mullen and his wife are from PA. Prescott graduating this year. It's time for Mullen to get out of dodge. He's looking to get back to the mid Atlantic and get a raise. I'm not sure VT is offering a raise, that might be what the negotiations are about.
That would be devastating
I just don't see it. If it's about the money, he will end up at Maryland
You think Maryland is going to be the highest paid P5 opening this year??
If he commands the money people think he will and if he is as highly regarded as a coach as we think he is...my guess would be he goes to LSU. I think it sounds like it is a halfway fit between us and him but we probably don't check off all the boxes both ways.
Why do people keep saying Mullen wants to leave Miss. St. People don't just leave programs they've built. Has there been anything that shows he wants to leave?