Point of Order

[RutherfordBHayes]

I’d like to point out that Moorhead was not a bad hire. There are no sure things in hiring coaches. Moorhead was highly successful everywhere that he’s been. All factors pointed to an up-and-comer ready for the next level. I don’t blame Cohen at all.

I also don’t believe that Moorhead is a bad coach, either. He’s proven that over his career. However, the SEC West is another animal, and our offense is and has been bad under Moorhead.

Carry on.

 

[UpTheMiddlex3Punt]

This is a sign of a good organization. It's easy to hire someone who looks like they will succeed and they do succeed. It's harder to hire someone who looks like they succeed and fire them when they don't.

 

[CoastDawg18]

Agree that the hire with the information that was available at the time was a good hire. Joe was the among the hottest OC’s in the nation and ready for a bit HC opportunity. He was essentially in the same position as Mullen was when we hired him. Unfortunately for us and him, it isn’t working for Joe yet.

 

[jdbulldog]

It is always harder to fire someone than to hire someone.

 

[was21]

Beg to differ...Moorhead was not in the same position as Mullen. Mullen had Urban Meyer as a mentor for a number of years from day one of Meyer's HC career. Moorhead had no such mentor...big difference

 

[msu84grad]

What I want to know is why head coaches in less-prestigious conferences are not looked at? Being a coordinator at a major school still has less job responsibilities than a head coach. The problem that State has had over Croom, Mullen, and Morehead is the assumption that a great assistant will make a great head coach. Why can't State look to someone on a lower level and boost them up? There has to be a head coach who knows how to run the whole program, not just their side of the line...

 

[QuaoarsKing]

What I want to know is why head coaches in less-prestigious conferences are not looked at? Being a coordinator at a major school still has less job responsibilities than a head coach. The problem that State has had over Croom, Mullen, and Morehead is the assumption that a great assistant will make a great head coach. Why can't State look to someone on a lower level and boost them up? There has to be a head coach who knows how to run the whole program, not just their side of the line...

Moorhead was both -- he was 38-13 at Fordham. Everything made sense about the hire on paper, which is why all the national observers were gushing over it.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

Beg to differ...Moorhead was not in the same position as Mullen. Mullen had Urban Meyer as a mentor for a number of years from day one of Meyer's HC career. Moorhead had no such mentor...big difference

That’s true. Mullen has been with a successful program builder at multiple stops for years. Moorhead had been around the northeast multiple schools multiple positions mostly at schools that don’t have a football culture or did while he was there except for penn state.

 

[MaxwellSmart]

The only red flag on Joe was coming from the Big 10 to the South with no ties here.

 

[RutherfordBHayes]

Yes. I think Mullen was more of a gamble than Moorhead. Penn State’s offenses weren’t all that good until Moorhead got there. Maybe, Byrne was a better evaluator than Cohen. Maybe Byrne got lucky. Who knows?

To the question of why no small school head coaches, it seems those guys end up small head coaches because nobody is sure about them and they’re trying to prove themselves (Hudspeth). The stud up-and-comers get in Power 5 and move up quick (Muschamp).

 

[ronpolk]

I’d like to point out that Moorhead was not a bad hire. There are no sure things in hiring coaches. Moorhead was highly successful everywhere that he’s been. All factors pointed to an up-and-comer ready for the next level. I don’t blame Cohen at all.

I also don’t believe that Moorhead is a bad coach, either. He’s proven that over his career. However, the SEC West is another animal, and our offense is and has been bad under Moorhead.

Carry on.

Agree with this. This is why I’m not pissed Cohen. I was excited about the hire. But it’s clear by now he’s in over his head. I know it won’t be easy to do, but letting him go is the right move. If Cohen chooses not to do that, then that is all on him.

 

[bruiser.sixpack]

Moorhead was both -- he was 38-13 at Fordham. Everything made sense about the hire on paper, which is why all the national observers were gushing over it.

I would not consider Fordham even comparable in this discussion. The fact is there are Group if 5 Head Coaches who are and have had success for multiple seasons. I again posit that Buddy Stephens at East Miss CC could coach Fordham to an FCS playoff team. Not sure he is SEC quality football coach though.

Chad Morris is in his second shot at the SEC, and is proving again, he isn’t up to the task.

Will Muschamp was supposedly a great DC ready for his shot, but Florida wasn’t a good fit.

There WERE options when Cohen jumped at Mo’head. He whiffed!

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Beg to differ...Moorhead was not in the same position as Mullen. Mullen had Urban Meyer as a mentor for a number of years from day one of Meyer's HC career. Moorhead had no such mentor...big difference

This is a noteworthy difference.

 

[11thEagleFan]

It just goes to show that the media doesn’t know jack ****. You need an athletic director who can identify talent and hire the man, public opinion be damned. Remember when everyone at ESPN and other outlets were gushing over the Moorhead hire? Remember when everyone at ESPN and other outlets were making fun of the Herm Edwards hire? There’s a reason these guys are only paid to write about sports, and not paid to make actual decisions.

 

[Rupert Jenkins]

Calm down everybody. In the long run its gonna be okay. We have a disastrous year. He will get it fixed.

 

[Drebin]

Calm down everybody. In the long run its gonna be okay. We have a disastrous year. He will get it fixed.

 

[bulldogcountry1]

I like JM, and I was excited about the hire. I was also concerned about the fit. To compete in the SEC, State MUST be ”Mississippi tough” and disciplined. We will never have the talent to win being flashy, and we can’t overcome laziness or lack of preparation.

Maybe it was impossible to know that JM isn’t capable of running an SEC program that way, but Cohen took a big risk picking a guy from a different part of the country who was going to try to run the program a different way.

I believe we need a “figure head” type of coach that recruits well and primarily focuses on running a disciplined program. We don’t need an offensive guru head coach. That’s what coordinators are for.

 

[MSUDC11]

Good coach, not ready to be an SEC head coach at this point in his career though. Maybe he will be eventually like Orgeron, but it’s very apparent he’s in over his head right now.

Cohen made what many thought was a good hire, it just hasn’t worked. If we need to go find a new coach, so be it. Same for a new AD if necessary.

 

[RutherfordBHayes]

It doesn’t matter where the coach is from.

Mullen was from New Hampshire and went to college in Pennsylvania.
His career:
1994–1995 Wagner (New York)
1996–1997 Columbia (New York)
1998 Syracuse (New York)
1999–2000 Notre Dame (Indiana)
2001–2002 Bowling Green (Ohio)
2003–2004 Utah
2005–2008 Florida

 

[shotgunDawg]

It doesn’t matter where the coach is from.

Mullen was from New Hampshire and went to college in Pennsylvania.
His career:
1994–1995 Wagner (New York)
1996–1997 Columbia (New York)
1998 Syracuse (New York)
1999–2000 Notre Dame (Indiana)
2001–2002 Bowling Green (Ohio)
2003–2004 Utah
2005–2008 Florida

I agree. It only matters if they are good or not & Moorhead is not a good coach.

 

[triton28]

Absolutely agree. But not firing him is a bad decision. Cohen can save face. But he won’t.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Seconded. That's the maddening part of this. That and a high buyout.

 

[Oak23]

Right now it appears 6-7 million dollars will get a battle tested, proven, D1 head coach that will win 7-9 + games per year . This is the SEC West and in order to be in the game you gotta pay out your ***. This is part of the problem at state. The ante is higher here(SEC West) than anywhere in the country for a reason.