STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University wide receivers coach Angelo Mirando resigned Sunday evening for “personal reasons” 13 days before the football team’s season opener.
MSU football spokesperson Joe Galbraith confirmed Sunday to The Dispatch Mirando wasn’t arrested over the weekend, and that he didn’t know if Mirando’s resignation was related to any legal situation between him or the university.
Mirando became a full-time assistant in 2011 following a pair of seasons as a graduate assistant for the MSU football program. The final graduate assistant season ended with Mirando unofficially taking control of the position group before the 2011 Gator Bowl. Mirando was given the assignment of coaching the receivers in bowl preparation after Mark Hudspeth left the same position to take the head coaching job at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In his first full season in charge of the wide receivers, his group set a MSU school record with 19 touchdown receptions.
“I have enjoyed my time at Mississippi State as a graduate assistant and as an assistant coach. I have made friends that will last a lifetime; however, due to unforeseen personal issues, I believe it is in my best interest to resign from Mississippi State,” Mirando said in a MSU release. “I want to stress these issues are personal. I look forward to pursuing other opportunities in the future. I want to thank my friend and mentor (MSU coach) Dan Mullen for giving me this chance.”
Mirando began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida in 2008 after graduating from Division III Case Western Reserve.
“We appreciate Angelo and the work he did and wish him the best in wherever the future takes him,” Mullen said. “We’ll take some time to evaluate what our next steps will be with that staff position, but I’m confident in our veteran group of wide receivers and know they’ll be focused and ready to go Sept. 1.”
MSU opens its 2012 season at 6 p.m. Sept. 1 against Jackson State.
Mullen declined to provide further comment on the issue. His next media session is scheduled for Tuesday evening after practice.
Mullen’s MSU coaching staff has four assistants with experience as a receivers coach (offensive coordinator Les Koenning, running backs coach Greg Knox, tight ends coach Scott Sallach, and cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith), but school officials didn’t make an announcement about the future of the wide receivers coach position for this season.
Mullen also has experience coaching wide receivers at Wagner College and Columbia University.
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