Dan Mullen left the Mississippi State Bulldogs the right way

Sometimes coaches leave a program without much warning or without giving thanks to the supporters. Dan Mullen left the Mississippi State Bulldogs the right way.

At the end of the regular season, Dan Mullen left the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team to become the next head coach of the Florida Gators. Mullen’s name was being mentioned for the Florida job almost immediately after it was announced that Jim McElwain and the Gators had parted ways.

Mullen was an offensive coordinator at Florida before Mississippi State hired him as head coach. He was with the Gators’ coaching staff from 2005 until 2008. During this time, Florida won two SEC titles and two BCS National Championships. Former Gators quarterback Tim Tebow also won the Heisman Trophy in 2007.

Florida is one of the best states in the nation for recruiting. With Mullen’s prior experience with the Gators, he was certainly a natural choice for head coach. At Florida, Mullen will have easier access to some of the nation’s top recruits than he did at Mississippi State.

However, Mullen did not leave Mississippi State high and dry like some coaches do when they leave their programs for a better position.

Fans were outraged when Lane Kiffin left the Tennessee Volunteers for the USC Trojans in 2010 after barely getting his foot in the door. The Volunteers’ program has struggled ever since Kiffin’s departure. They are currently in the middle of a coaching search that seems as if it will never end. Tennessee’s next head coach will be their third since Kiffin abruptly left Knoxville.

In contrast, the Bulldogs seem to have made a smooth transition in hiring their next head coach. Mississippi State hired Joe Moorhead just days after Florida announced Mullen would be their next head coach.

Mullen allowed Mississippi State to prepare for his departure. He also took the time to thank Bulldogs fans for their support over the years. Mullen and his wife took out a full-page ad in the Jackson, Miss. newspaper, The Clarion-Ledger, to express their gratitude to fans, the administration and players. Mullen also showed respect to the Bulldogs’ new head coach and waited until after Mississippi State officially hired Moorhead to publish his letter.

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Coaches will come and go in college football. It is understandable when a coach decides to take advantage of a better opportunity when it is offered. But when coaches do decide to leave, they should follow Mullen’s example and do it the right way.