STARKVILLE — In lieu of the timing and sudden nature of Angelo Mirando’s resignation as receivers coach, Mississippi State University head coach Dan Mullen had to come up with multiple solutions.
Mullen personally took over the position group Tuesday following Mirando’s resignation this weekend for what he and the school are calling “unforeseen personal issues”.
“We did a lot of blocking drills with me today,” Mullen joked saying he was an “old school” type of coach. “I think the fact that we have a mature group helps.”
When asked by reporters Tuesday evening, Mullen laid out three different plans of how to assess handling the open position on the coaching staff in the future.
“We have an immediate plan, a short-term plan and a long-term plan,” Mullen said. “I want to have a short term plan figured out by the end of the week. The short-term plan and the long-term plan could be a combo plan.”
Mullen suggested his “short-term plan” could be the hiring of a graduate assistant Brett Elliott, who is currently working with the receivers. This plan was be similar to when Mullen gave the responsibility to Mirando during preparation for the 2011 Gator Bowl and then promoted him to full-time assistant shortly after the game.
“(We) might have a short-term fix that turns into a long term fix or a short term fix that last through the season,” Mullen said. “We’re going to figure that out over the next few days.”
Mullen said Tuesday the message to the rest of the assistant coaches is to still concentrate on their position groups and responsibilities as if nothing has changed for them.
“Brett Elliot, our graduate assistant, was working substitution and all working with them when we go 11 on 11, he’s getting guys on the field,” Mullen said. “What I’ll be able to do now, we’ve got time.
You’re not in game plan week right in the moment. Tomorrow we’ll watch today’s film and make corrections.”
When pressed on the issue of if Mirando could be accepted back on the coaching staff, Mullen said “anything is possible in this world” but wouldn’t comment any further on the situation.
Mullen was “disappointed” with younger players after two-day break.
After giving the MSU players Sunday and Monday off, Mullen saw a distinct difference in the execution of his underclassmen in the first practice following fall camp Tuesday.
“You can just see the maturity factor in what comes in,” Mullen said. “You can see the younger guys are a little sluggish, and I’m kind of disappointed.”
After a long scrimmage session Saturday evening at Davis Wade Stadium, the MSU staff only scheduled meetings for the players Sunday and then gave them Monday off due it being the first day of fall classes on campus.
“They shut down and it showed today,” Mullen said. “Instead of physically shutting it down and mentally picking it up over those (two) days, and really grinding through their notes, playbooks, scheme. So it was a little big sluggish and sloppy at times today. And we’ve just got to keep them in that rhythm.”
Mullen impressed with experience on Jackson State defense
Mullen said Tuesday he can remember seeing some Jackson State players on the film he’s gone over that played in the first game he ever coached at Davis Wade Stadium.
When the fourth-year head coach went over some of the tape of JSU’s defense, he saw an experienced group that he believed was a starting unit of nine seniors and two juniors.
While they haven’t installed a gameplan in practice yet for their first opponent, Mullen said Tuesday the coaches have begun scouting for JSU with less than two weeks until the season opener Sept. 1 against the Tigers (6 p.m., FSN South).
“I’ve looked at more of the defense than the offense a bit,” Mullen said. “You’re looking a pretty good football team that had nine seniors and two juniors on defense. It’s always a challenge when you get in a week one. For us, we’re going to be breaking in some new guys and they’re going to have some guys that played here four years ago.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.