For the past few days, I’ve been mulling over writing an article about Sylvester Croom’s resignation at Mississippi State, but I figured it’s about time to break my silence.
I’m sad to see Croom go, to say the least. I felt like he had a long future in Starkville, and it’s a shame that things didn’t work out for both parties.
There are plenty who are glad to see the change made, but even the most excited Bulldog fans should keep in mind that e did an excellent job in bringing the program back to respectability, and that he leaves the program in a lot better shape than it was when he took over in 2003. His high character is well-documented, and he was the right man at the right time for the program.
There’s no doubt changes needed to be made after the regression that was this year’s 4-8 campaign, but I didn’t think that this would be the end result, even after the way things unfolded this season. However, it’s happened now, so there‘s only so much that can be said about it but to wish him the best of luck in his future plans, and more importantly, look to the future of MSU football.
With offense having been the Bulldogs’ biggest sore spot throughout the Croom era, offensive coaches should dominate the list of top candidates.
There’ve been a lot of names mentioned with the job since Croom’s resignation came through the wire on Saturday, everyone from sons of coaching legends (Tommy Bowden, East Carolina’s Skip Holtz, and Louisiana Tech’s Derek Dooley) to some current hot commodities (Boise State’s Chris Petersen, TCU’s Gary Patterson, Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly). There’s potential on offense, both with current players (the trio of Tyson Lee, Anthony Dixon, and Brandon McRae, along with the injured Robert Elliott) and with recruits (QB Tyler Russell, RB Montrell Conner), and the right man can turn potential into production.
There’ve been a few reports that MSU was already in contact with Tommy Bowden, and he’s been the most talked-about name, so he may well be the favorite for the job.
It’s always questionable to hire a guy who had an acrimonious end to his last job as Bowden did at Clemson, and depending on the aspirations that AD Greg Byrne has for the program, he might have to think long and hard about Bowden.
Of the other names that have been mentioned, I don’t know how realistic Petersen and Kelly are, but both would be about as good as you could get when it comes to solving the woes on the offensive side of the ball. Tulsa’s Todd Graham could also be thrown into the mix as well.
I don’t know where this thought came from, but could Byrne give Texas’ Major Applewhite a call? Yes, he does lack head-coaching experience, but hey, I just thought I’d throw that out there.
You can throw in TCU’s Gary Patterson, Florida’s Charlie Strong, and a couple of other defense-oriented coaches, but if that’s the chosen route, a very, very good offensive staff will have to be brought in.
Salary-wise, the next coach won’t get a Saban-like contract, and he might not even make as much as Croom did. However, he’ll get paid well enough, and he’ll have a chance to earn more if he can win. It’s realistic to think that the next coach can achieve the kind of success that Jackie Sherrill did in the early 90s and then again in the late 90s, which means regularly going to bowl games, pushing for the Top 25, and developing into a program that can realistically make a push to be one of the conference‘s consistent winners.
The next few weeks will be big for the future of Mississippi State football, and hopefully when the dust clears, Byrne makes a choice that signals that the future is indeed as bright for the program as it can be.
