Mississippi State Coach Dan Mullen No Fan Of Hire/Fire Sites
By Phil Watson
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen, when asked about a website launched this week lobbying for Florida to replace Will Muschamp with Mullen, said he’s no fan of those sites.
The restless Florida fans who brought the Internet the FireRonZook.com website several years ago are back, taking a different approach this time around with a new site called HireDanMullen.com.
Dan Mullen, coach of the top-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs (still getting used to that concept without an immediate urge to stock up on non-perishable goods for the pending apocalypse), was asked by a Mississippi radio station about the site and another called WeWantDan.com.
"“It’s really an insult to coaches and to players at institutions,” Mullen told “Head to Head Radio” (per abc11.com). “Whether they’re putting websites out to hire you or fire you or do all these different things, I don’t think that does any good for anybody.”"
Florida is 3-2 this season and 2-2 in the SEC under Will Muschamp, who is just 25-18 in his fourth season in Gainesville after replacing Urban Meyer in 2011.
The Gators are just 7-10 since the beginning of last season.
Mullen, an assistant at Florida under Meyer from 2005-08, said there were fans there who wanted him fired while he was the offensive coordinator.
More recently, Mullen recalled a website launched last year calling for his ouster from Mississippi State.
"“I know there was a website here at Mississippi State to fire Dan Mullen last year,” Mullen said. “Now there’s probably one to keep me here.”"
The Bulldogs moved to the top of the polls on Sunday after their 38-23 win over then-No. 2 Auburn on Saturday.
Mississippi State became the first team in the history of the AP poll to go from unranked to No. 1 in five weeks.
The 6-0 Bulldogs have three straight victories over teams that were ranked in the top 10—No. 8 LSU on the road and at home over No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 2 Auburn.
Mississippi State will be looking to avoid a letdown when they visit unranked Kentucky on Oct. 25.
Mullen, in his sixth season in Starkville, is 42-28, including 19-24 in SEC play. But he has taken the Bulldogs to four straight bowl appearances.
But as a guy in his 20th season coaching college football, from his days as an assistant at Wagner in the mid-1990s to coaching the No. 1 team in the country, Mullen should realize that college football fandom brings with it a certain amount of crazy and a big helping of overzealousness.
It’s just the nature of the beast.