3 Reasons Dan Mullen Will be the Mississippi State Coach in 2017

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Oct 8, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Dan Mullen looks up at the scoreboard during the second quarter of the game against the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Track Record

Mississippi State had never been ranked as the AP #1 until Dan Mullen arrived. Hail State nation had never seen six straight bowl games until — you guessed it — Coach Mullen came to town.

Dan Mullen brought Mississippi State football to 6 straight bowl games — the longest streak in Bulldog football history. His 4-2 record is impressive. His 4 bowl wins are over half as many (7) as every other coach in Mississippi State football history — combined.

The only thing missing from Dan Mullen’s resume is an appearance in the SEC Championship Game. While Jackie Sherrill can claim that, it came in a much weaker SEC. The 1998 SEC West Champions had an 8-3 record with SEC losses to LSU and Kentucky. There’s no way an SEC West team that loses to Kentucky would make the SEC Championship today. So let’s not hold that too high over Mullen’s head.

Before we move on, though, there is one thing to add. Longtime Mississippi State Athletic Director Scott Strickland is now at Florida. Believe it or not, it is going to be incredibly difficult for a new athletic director to walk in the door and fire such a legendary figure in Dan Mullen. While there isn’t enough to to dedicate an entire section to this idea, it needed to be mentioned.

Strickland did approve the contract that is the biggest reason Mullen will still be coaching the Bulldogs in 2017, though.

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