5 candidates to replace Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State

Joe Moorhead is gone after two seasons, so here are five candidates to be the next head football coach at Mississippi State.

In the wake of Monday’s bowl loss to Louisville, which clinched the program’s second losing season since 2009, multiple reports indicated Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead was on track to be fired. On Friday morning, Stadium’s Brett McMurphy reported Moorhead has indeed been let go after two seasons with a 14-12 record.

Moorhead came to Starkville to replace Dan Mullen after two seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Penn State. The Bulldogs went 8-5 in his first season, with some NFL-level talent Mullen left behind, and after rumors tied him to the opening at Rutgers a win over rival Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl seemed to save his job.

But the good vibe from November faded in December. Multiple players missed bowl practices. Starting quarterback Garrett Schrader, who had taken over for a then-injured Tommy Stevens, was involved in a fight during one session and suffered injuries that led to him missing the Music City Bowl. Ten players missed games this season while suspended for academic fraud involving a tutor.

The move to fire Moorhead is less than ideal. It’s late in the coaching carousel, with top candidates spoken for and a quick hook possibly scaring off any viable candidates who are left. But there is a success story with a late hire such as this, as Minnesota hired P.J. Fleck away from Western Michigan in early January 2017.

Here are five candidates to be the next head coach at Mississippi State.

5. Bob Shoop, Mississippi State Defensive Coordinator

In the interest of continuity, for whatever that might be worth, Shoop stands as the in-house candidate for Mississippi State. He came from Tennessee to join Moorhead’s staff, and in 2018 the Bulldogs had the No. 1 defense in the SEC as they were second in the country in scoring, total and rush defense. The loss of eight starters from that unit led to an expected drop-off this year, as Mississippi State sits 74th in the country in scoring defense and 59th against the run.

Shoop’s only head coaching experience came from 2003-2005 at Columbia, with a 7-23 record. The SEC might be some pretty deep water for him then, but he has spent seven of the last nine seasons as a defensive coordinator in the conference and may not be in too far over his head all things considered.

If guilt by association to Moorhead is tied to Schoop, due to the disciplinary issues that have surfaced, then he will be gone too. But right now, athletic director John Cohen has an in-house candidate to fully vet.