5 candidates to replace Joe Moorhead as head coach at Mississippi State

5 candidates to replace Joe Moorhead at Mississippi State

NASHVILLE, TN - DECEMBER 30: Mississippi State Bulldogs Head Coach Joe Moorhead during the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Louisville Cardinals on December, 30, 2019, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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3. Jeff Monken, Army Head Coach

If player discipline was a serious issue for Mississippi State under Moorhead, and it sure seems it was, why not consider a coach from a military academy? Enter Monken, as suggested by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated.

Monken just finished his sixth season as head coach of Black Knights, and he has a 40-36 overall record. Prior to this year’s fairly disappointing 5-8 record Army won at least eight games as well as a bowl game in three straight seasons, with double-digit wins in 2017 and 2018.

Monken has deep roots in option offense, back through his time as an assistant at Georgia Tech, Navy and Georgia Southern. The use of spread concepts in his run-based scheme might be just the kind of zig Mississippi State needs to counter the rest of the SEC’s more conventional zags.

Monken has been mentioned as a candidate to leave Army for another job in previous years, but with seemingly little in the way of serious traction or an ideal fit. It would be quite a step up to the SEC, but Mississippi State should have some level of interest here as they enter a late coaching search.

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