3 Reasons Dan Mullen Will be the Mississippi State Coach in 2017

Sep 10, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen participates in Dawg Walk before the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

After seeing Mississippi State football give a lackluster effort and get dominated by Auburn, many fans are ready for a coaching change.  Much to their chagrin, that change isn’t coming this year.

This is a part of the unfairness of college football.  Dan Mullen has consistently exceeded expectations at Mississippi State.  He has been handsomely rewarded for doing so.  If Mullen didn’t receive the raise from Mississippi State football, he’d shop himself elsewhere.

He has consistently exceeded expectations.  He has shopped himself nearly every offseason.  Now Mullen is handsomely rewarded for his past efforts.  The problem, though, is there is no real alternative course when Mullen underachieves or no longer wants to be a part of Mississippi State football.

After losing to South Alabama, LSU and being embarrassed by Auburn, many in the Mississippi State football family are eager to be rid of Dan Mullen.  It appears, as well, that Dan Mullen no longer wants to be a part of Mississippi State football.

Even though it appears that both sides are mutually looking for a separation, Dan Mullen will still be leading Mississippi State football in the 2017 season.  We’re going to take a look at why here.

Disagree?  Agree with different reasons?  Let us know in the comments section or on Twitter!  I’d love to hear varying viewpoints.

Nov 29, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen (L) talks to Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott (15) against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Rebels won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports

3. We’ve Been Here Before

Following an 8-5 (4-4) 2012 football season, Mississippi State football fans had high expectations for 2013.  Bulldogs felt like a win against Oklahoma State was likely and Mississippi State football would emerge as a national power.

That simply didn’t happen.

Mississippi State fell to Oklahoma State, leading to an alleged apology from then Athletic Director Scott Strickland.  It wasn’t so much that the Bulldogs lost; the primary point of concern was the seeming lack of effort as the Bulldogs fell 21-3.  We appear to be at that point of concern again in 2016, and I said as much in a prior article.

The 2013 Mississippi State football season got worse before getting better.  The Bulldogs lost to Auburn and Texas A&M with blowout losses to LSU and South Carolina in between.

Wins against Alcorn State, Troy, Bowling Green (21-20) and Kentucky allowed Mullen and Co. to at least get to 4 wins.  Fans were ready to leave Mullen if he could somehow beat SEC powerhouse Alabama.  The Bulldogs did indeed fight against Alabama and only lost by 14.  Fans were infuriated by play calling, though, and more were ready to move on.

The administration would have had to seriously considered letting Mullen go if he would have lost to Arkansas or Ole Miss in the next two weeks.  Instead, though, Mullen’s Bulldogs responded with back to back overtime victories against the Razorbacks and Rebels.

Mississippi State fans have to be thankful Mullen saved his job in 2013.  Instead of pulling a Les Miles with his job on the line, Mullen led the Bulldogs to a 9-0 start with key victories against Arkansas, Auburn, LSU and Texas A&M in 2014.  While losses to Alabama and Ole Miss knocked Mississippi State off their #1 perch and from the driver’s seat of the SEC West, it still goes down as the greatest season in Mississippi State football history.

After seeing Mullen and his team respond so well to adversity in the past, there’s no doubt the Mississippi State administration will be hesitant to get rid of the football coach with the best winning percentage in their history.

While fans have enjoyed Dan Mullens’ accomplishments, they’re also part of what is keeping him as their coach currently.

Oct 8, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen looks up at the scoreboard during the second quarter of the game against the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

2. Track Record

Mississippi State had never been ranked as the AP #1 until Dan Mullen arrived. Hail State nation had never seen six straight bowl games until — you guessed it — Coach Mullen came to town.

Dan Mullen brought Mississippi State football to 6 straight bowl games — the longest streak in Bulldog football history.  His 4-2 record is impressive.  His 4 bowl wins are over half as many (7) as every other coach in Mississippi State football history — combined.

The only thing missing from Dan Mullen’s resume is an appearance in the SEC Championship Game.  While Jackie Sherrill can claim that, it came in a much weaker SEC.  The 1998 SEC West Champions had an 8-3 record with SEC losses to LSU and Kentucky.  There’s no way an SEC West team that loses to Kentucky would make the SEC Championship today.  So let’s not hold that too high over Mullen’s head.

Before we move on, though, there is one thing to add.  Longtime Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Strickland is now at Florida.  Believe it or not, it is going to be incredibly difficult for a new athletic director to walk in the door and fire such a legendary figure in Dan Mullen.  While there isn’t enough to to dedicate an entire section to this idea, it needed to be mentioned.

Strickland did approve the contract that is the biggest reason Mullen will still be coaching the Bulldogs in 2017, though.

Sep 10, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen walks the sideline during the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

1. Dan Mullen’s Contract

After leading Mississippi State football to a 10-3 record and the first-ever #1 ranking in school history, Dan Mullen was able to join the $4 million club.  After making around $3 million in 2014, it was a fair raise for the pay scale of coaches in the modern era.  No one really blinked an eye.  Mullen was, after all, the 2014 Maxwell National Collegiate Coach of the Year.

Now that contract is possibly haunting Mississippi State football. Dan Mullen had the following to say after agreeing to the contract:

mississippi state

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“We spent five weeks ranked No. 1 last season for the first time, but we have only scratched this surface on what we can accomplish here. We have created a winning culture both on and off the field and built a program that has sustained success in the nation’s toughest conference. I’ve always said we are going to win a championship here, and I firmly believe that.”

Since that point, though, Mississippi State football has been on the decline.  While the Bulldogs still had a solid 2015 season, the 2016 season has gotten off to quite a troublesome start.

With the Bulldogs in regression since that contract was awarded, many high profile schools who were likely interested in Mullen have likely backed off.  If Mullen cannot maintain success, high profile programs are not looking for the next guy to keep their program mired in mediocrity.

Why all the fuss over high profile programs?  Dan Mullen isn’t going to want to take a massive pay cut. Lower profile schools can’t match what Mississippi State is paying Dan Mullen.  While I couldn’t find a buyout clause for Mullen, it likely exists somewhere.

So with the schools being interested unable to pay Mullen’s price tag and major programs uninterested, Mullen will have to take a pay cut or make a ‘lateral move’ to no longer be the coach of Mississippi State football in 2017.  I simply cannot see that happening.

Nov 28, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen on the sidelines during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi won 38-27. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Summary

Mississippi State is stuck with Dan Mullen for at least one season.  His aforementioned contract runs through 2018 and it would be easier to pay Mullen off after the 2017 season.  It may never come to that, though.

Leave out the money talk for a moment.  Dan Mullen has a winning regular season and bowl record, a #1 ranking to his credit and a winning record against Ole Miss.  Although 2016 has gotten off to a slow start for Mullen, he certainly deserves one more year.

No coach has ever been as good for as long for Mississippi State football.  If Mississippi State football can’t give such a legendary school figure slack for one bad season, who is going to want to replace him?  For the best interest of the program, Mississippi State SHOULD give Dan Mullen one more year.

Don’t forget, Mississippi State football has been here before under Dan Mullen.  That 2012 season looked terrible and liked the team had quit on Mullen.  While many people are saying the same about the 2016 version, they are simultaneously forgetting 2013.  2017 could very well be a repeat of of the 2013 season as well.

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