As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate Dan Mullen.
Dan Mullen’s coaching experience (45 years old)
Assistant/GA at Wagner, Columbia, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Bowling Green and Utah from 1994-2004. Rode Urban Meyer’s coattails from Utah to Florida, where he found huge success as offensive coordinator with Tim Tebow, 2005-08. He’s been Mississippi State’s head coach since then.
GRT college football coach taxonomy: The Proven Winner, Level Three – Major Conference Contender; Guru (QBs; offense)
Why the Tennessee Vols might want Dan Mullen
There’s a familiarity there, and you also like the fact that he’s proven he can develop players and generate some big offensive numbers in the conference. Mullen is sharp-tongued, quick-witted and knows how to handle media and the fan base. He also has recruited and enjoyed success in Tennessee. The man knows the SEC, and he also knows how to play the recruiting game. He’s proven his ability to develop quarterbacks and build great offenses at a dead-end spot like Starkville. Tennessee is a huge step up, even though it’s in the same conference. Still, he makes a lot of money at MSU, and is this the kind of hire you want to make without knowing if his ceiling has championship potential?
Why the Tennessee Vols might not want Dan Mullen
Will the money be there? He’s already making over $5 million in Starkville. Also, he’s already in the SEC. Would he see Knoxville as an opportunity? He’s also never won big in Starkville, though he did have MSU to No. 1 briefly when Dak Prescott was the quarterback.
He had 2 good years at State and he has never had better than the 8th recruiting class in the SEC. No chance he is a big success at UT or Florida. There is a reason he wont leave State. He is happy where expectations are low
The “happy where expectations are low” thing might be real (like Cutcliffe at Duke), and if so that’s fine for him. But I think he would have significant success at Tennessee or Florida – I wrote about this a bunch today, but ask a Mississippi State fan how many good years he’s had. They would have a much better answer, and I think that would translate into him having way more than two good years with us. He gets the most out of his teams and he’s been around the big prize at Florida before. Mullen and Frost are my… Read more »