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Mississippi State Bulldogs: Dan Mullen is one of SEC’s best

By Matt Green

STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 10: Head Coach Dan Mullen of the Mississippi State Bulldogs works the sidelines during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Davis Wade Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Bulldogs defeated the Gamecocks 27-14. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 10: Head Coach Dan Mullen of the Mississippi State Bulldogs works the sidelines during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Davis Wade Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Starkville, Mississippi. The Bulldogs defeated the Gamecocks 27-14. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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There are 61 days till college football season, and on today’s countdown we focus on one of the best coaches in the SEC.

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Dan Mullen has been the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs for eight seasons, which makes him one of the elder statesmen among SEC head coaches. Only Nick Saban, who’s been at Alabama for 10 years, is longer tenured than Mullen. He’s taken them from the bottom of the league, to competing for division titles.

And that leads us to no. 61 on the Southbound and Down College Football Countdown.

Dan Mullen is 61-42 in his eight seasons as Mississippi State Head Coach

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In Mullen’s eight seasons, he’s registered six winning seasons and the Bulldogs have gone 29-35 conference record, but let’s put that in perspective.

In the eight seasons before Mullen arrived in Starkville, the Bulldogs had just one winning season, and only two seasons with more than three wins. Their record over that span was 29-65, including 13-51 in conference play.

In 2014, Mullen led Mississippi State to a 10-3 season and their first no. 1 ranking in the school ‘s 113-year history. They were even no. 1 in the first ever College Football Playoff rankings.

That season, and Mullen’s tenure in general, was led in large part by Dak Prescott, the best quarterback in school history and last season’s NFL Rookie of the Year.

And Mullen found another dynamic quarterback to replace Prescott with Nick Fitzgerald, who rushed for 1,375 yards and an SEC-leading 16 touchdowns last season. His ability makes the Mississippi State Bulldogs a sleeper going into this season.

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