Where does Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen rank among SEC coaches?
That question is difficult to answer. After coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, which saw Mississippi State rank No. 1 overall for several consecutive weeks before ending at No. 11 overall, I ranked Mullen seventh leading up to the 2015 season.
It wasn’t that I wasn’t impressed by Mississippi State’s turnaround, rather it was a safe place to put a coach coming off his most successful year, which followed a steady progress of mediocrity since his hire. Ranking Mullen right in the middle of the SEC coaches was more of a “let’s see what he can do” with a depleted roster that only returned seven starters.
Few expected the Bulldogs to contend in the SEC West but, despite finishing sixth in the division, they did just that for the majority of the season. Aside from Alabama, the West was so tight for most of 2015. Mississippi State finished with only two less wins than second place Ole Miss and one less than third place Arkansas.
However, the Bulldogs were undefeated in non-division games and managed to finish with a 4-4 record against SEC opponents, including wins against Auburn and Arkansas.
There’s no doubt that Mullen did an excellent job in keeping Mississippi State competitive coming off a historic season. No other coach in the SEC managed to do more with less in 2015.
However, Mullen’s biggest challenge will be replacing Dak Prescott, arguably the greatest player in school history. Prescott’s decision to return for his senior season likely provided the Bulldogs with several extra wins that they wouldn’t have had with a new quarterback in 2015.
He was a once in a generation quarterback for Mississippi State and, as has been the case with Florida, Texas A&M and other programs, replacing him will be tough. How Mullen handles his quarterback situation this offseason will be another deciding factor in his status among the SEC’s best coaches.
But as of now, there shouldn’t be any doubt that he’s closer to the top-tier in the conference.
Mullen’s teams have made a bowl game and finished with a winning record in each season following a 5-7 (3-5 SEC) finish during his debut in 2009. Prior to Mullen’s hire, Mississippi State had only made 13 bowl appearances since its first in 1937.
The Bulldogs have also won nine or more games three times, including each of the past two seasons. Their best previous finishes came in 1999 when they went 10-2 under Jackie Sherrill, which was the first time they had won nine or more games since 1980.
Mullen may be underrated by some, but that’s likely not the case with opposing programs. There’s little doubt that he’d be high on most team’s lists in filling a coaching vacancy if he decided to show interest. Plus, with the SEC having so many coaching changes in recent years, Mullen is now the third-longest tenured SEC coach behind Alabama’s Nick Saban and LSU’s Les Miles, both of whom have won national championships.
The fact that Mullen has made Mississippi State a relevant program since taking over in 2009 speaks volumes to how great of a coach he is. He may not have the pedigree of Saban or Miles, but he’s managed to turn an annual cellar dweller into a consistently competitive program and potential contender in college football’s toughest division.
Some may view him as overrated, but Mullen has definitely proven his worth as one of the nation’s best young coaches since taking over in Starkville.
Mississippi State is better for hiring him and should be fortunate that he has stuck with the program throughout his tenure.
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