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Mullen steady on the grind as BCS title game nears |
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Thursday, 08 January 2009 |
By AARON SEIDLITZ
Starkville Daily News
Dan Mullen is a busy man.
He is preparing for the BCS national championship game as Florida’s offensive coordinator. He still has to find time to fulfill his duties as Mississippi State’s head coach. He’s dealing with the media asking questions about both gigs.
His schedule – which he said usually lasts now from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. formally with Florida and then until whatever time he gets tired with Mississippi State – is packed enough that he has only made it out on the town in Miami twice with his wife Megan for the bowl events.
Still, he doesn’t seem like a man rattled by it all.
“It’s been a lot,” Mullen said. “Fortunately, I know starting Monday when we went back to an active recruiting period where it’s unlimited phone calls it’s picked up again.
“I think I’ve missed out on a lot of the fun maybe the coaches are having here.”
But while the fun Miami does have to offer will not be too accessible to Mullen, the preparation for the national championship seems to be this coach’s fuel for right now.
He breaks down Oklahoma’s defense. He figures out ways to utilize Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.
Mullen’s whole day is spent game planning.
Then, just when most would be ready to call it a day, he goes back for double duty. It’s time to pick up the phone and deal with recruits, fellow coaches and current players at Mississippi State.
“We get up in the morning, and I’m pretty locked in on doing everything involved with Florida,” the coach said. “I think we start at 6:30 in the morning with meetings (and) usually that goes to about 6:30 at night.
“From that point forward, I’m just working Mississippi State, and when I’m too tired I go to sleep.”
That doesn’t include all the media attention he is getting in Florida right now. The new head football coach of Mississippi State has even been featured by the New York Times.
But to Mullen, the attention and the media swarm isn’t anything that’s too new or unfamiliar. It’s just one more thing that takes up some time.
“The media attention at the University of Florida is pretty relentless on a lot of different things,” Mullen said. “So now that I’ve left, they’ve kind of focused most of their attention elsewhere.
“Most of the media attention I’m dealing with is about being with Mississippi State, so that really hasn’t been much of a big deal for me I guess.”
One thing the coach can be excited about with the Bulldogs are the new players he is bringing into the fold.
As the coach announced when he signed, the most important early goal is to recruit.
Mississippi State officially
welcomes eight new football players
Wednesday marked the first day of classes at MSU, and the football team announced eight new players that will be here for the spring semester.
By enrolling now these eight players will be able to participate in the off season work out program and spring practice. They will be in class at Mississippi State as well.
Of the eight players, two are true freshmen who are coming straight from high school as December graduates. Those players include defensive back Cameron Lawrence from Coldwater, Miss. and offensive lineman Sam Watts from Conyers, Ga.
The other six are junior college transfers and they include: wide receiver Leon Berry, kicker Sean Brauchle, punter Heath Hutchins, defensive back Maurice Langston, defensive lineman Pernell McPhee and linebacker Chris White.
A press release from the university stated that all of the junior college players have two years of eligibility remaining now that they are enrolled at State.
One departure is set
While the Bulldogs have welcomed in eight new players, one familiar face has now departed.
Quarterback Wesley Carroll, it was reported, has officially transferred and will attend Florida International next season.
A high school graduate of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Carroll returns to his home state one season after leading Mississippi State to an eight-win season in 2007.
Carroll fell out of former head coach Sylvester Croom’s favor, when back up Tyson Lee took over the quarterback position and started eight games this year to Carroll’s four.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 09 January 2009 )
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