It's amazing for someone that hasn't spent a whole lot of time in the state of Mississippi in their life beforehand, to come in and feel that warmth, that welcoming, to see what a great, tremendous community Starkville, Mississippi is to live in, great place to raise a family, just seeing the sense of community everybody has, the family values the people of the state of Mississippi have. It's been really exciting for us. It's been a great move.
Mullen on the upcoming season: I can't wait to get this season going. Can't wait to get that kickoff here. I'll share with you our team goals for this year. If you turn on a game film, watch a team, all 11 players on the field on any given snap, play with a relentless effort, play with a passion for the game of football for 60 minutes of that game, we'll have a successful season.
Q. You talked about wanting to be a head coach ever since you got in the profession. Are you surprised or intimidated that your first shot at it comes in a league that has so many famous head coaches, coached in the NFL?
Dan Mullen: It's pretty exciting. I guess when you walk into that first SEC head coaches meeting there, I mean, meeting Urban Meyer, that's not a big deal, I've had to put up with him for years. But you get to see guys you grew up watching, guys like Steve Spurrier. Unbelievable fan of Steve Spurrier. Getting to see guys like Rich Brooks, all the success they've had at every different level. It's quite an honor.
At this point, I'm the only undefeated coach in the league. I have my little sticking point until we get this season rolling. I can be real happy if I can come back here and say the same thing next year. That would be a pretty neat deal.
Q. You have a new offense, obviously. They were running a West Coast offense. You talked about your quarterback play, how it's improved in the spring. What are your expectations from that position this fall?
Dan Mullen: Well, you know, the one benefit we have, we have really our returning player coming back, Tyson Lee, that was the offense he had run in high school and junior college. Last year was his first year in a non spread offense. So that adjustment for him I think makes life a little bit easier coming out of it. Tyler Russell ran a shotgun spread offense in high school some of the similarities for those guys. There's some carryover from their past.
[W]e really need Tyson Lee to step up for us, to be a senior, to give that leadership. We might rotate the other guys and play more than one quarterback, but we do need him as a senior to be a steady leader and a winner for us out there on the field, to get our program going in the right direction.
Q. You've been part of a staff that the won two BCS championships now in the last three years. How do you respond when people say, That can never happen in Starkville, Mississippi State? How do you answer that question?
Dan Mullen: For us, I think it's only been 10 years since Mississippi State has been to Atlanta to play for a Southeastern Conference championship. I think in today's world, in this league, national attention, you win the Southeastern Conference championship, you have the opportunity to play for a national title.
That is our pressure for us, that we look our goal is always going to be to find a way to start in the season, how do we get to Atlanta. Then that first week in December, our goal will be, How do we win in Atlanta. That goal for me, as long as wherever I coach in the Southeastern Conference, that goal to me is the same in Florida, the same as it is in Tuscaloosa, as it is in Baton Rouge, as it is in Athens, Georgia: How do we get our team to Atlanta.
If we follow that approach, get ourselves to Atlanta, find a way to win that game, maybe we'll have an opportunity for a bigger prize at that point.
Q. What is it going to be like this year staring across from him [Tim Tebow] on the other sideline?
Dan Mullen: You know what, it's going to be a real neat experience. When you spend three years of your life- when you spend more time with Tim Tebow than you do with your own wife- which I did, you get that close relationship, you know that's something that's not going to change. It's going to be a unique part of our relationship this year.
I don't see my relationship, my respect, my love for Tim Tebow to change because he's on the other sideline, or 10 years down the road. He's such an extraordinary young man.
Q. How important is it to have Jamar Chaney back? Do you have enough receiver depth for your offense?
Dan Mullen: Having Jamar back is huge. From day one, Jamar Chaney walked into my office, said, Coach, I'm going to believe in everything you're doing, I'm going to be a leader of this team. The team follows him. The team respects him so much. The effort he's given and everything we've asked him to do is unbelievable. It's just fantastic having him back, and having a personality back like that, especially when you take over a new program, to have such a strong personality, someone that you expect to be such a great leader in your program, to help build that foundation of what we want, and the message we're trying to get across to our team on a daily basis.
Q. What is it going to be like going up against Urban this year?
Dan Mullen: I'm gonna have fun doing it, you know. Probably have to make sure I change all my signals. I'll pay attention, see if he changes his signals a little bit so we know what's going on.
It will be a fun challenge. Obviously, I've learned so much from him. He's helped me develop in my career for so long. That competitiveness is going to come out with us that game day for us. My wife and I made some great friends living in Gainesville, with people in Gainesville, with people in the Florida family, the university, obviously within the athletic department and the football team. I look at it more as a fun day than maybe something that's kind of different, you know, or that crazy.
I think that's a game I'm excited to go play, really get to see those guys and have fun playing against 'em, you know.
Probably be the No. 1 team in the country when they come rolling in. That's always an added challenge. It will make it even more fun.
OT Derek Sherrod
On the coaching change:
"There is a lot of excitement around Mississippi. I can't say how many fans have spoken to us about how they can't wait for the first game. I've never seen anything like this before!"
On Coach Mullen:
"Coach Mullen knows what we need to grow as players. He knows what to do to help us reach the next level and he's going to work us until we get to that point. Practice is the only way we will be able to be the best team we can be."
On the expectations with Mullen coaching:
"Coach Mullen is the new face of Mississippi State football. A lot of people are expecting big things from us. We are going to take it one game at a time."
On how the team chemistry has changed:
"My teammates and I have grown much closer through all of these changes. For that reason I feel we will be a much better team this year. Any team is always a few plays away from having a much better season."
On the spread offense:
"We are coming out with a new offense this season. We are going to be high-octane, fast-paced, running down-the-field, intense. We will get downfield and score. I take pride in having a good defense and I consider it a pleasure to have this new offense. I can't wait for the season to come and get out on the field."
LB K.J. Wright
On Coach Mullen:
"Everything is good. Coach Mullen is an up-tempo guy. He has a huge personality. He has won a national championship. He has something we don't have. Coach is a winner. We are going to learn from him, and duplicate what he did at Florida.
On the changes and expectations:
"Mullen is a good people person. The fans love him. He is always smiling. We set a new record at our spring game. Everyone is excited to see what we are going to do this year. We plan on winning [this year], always giving a relentless effort and going hard every play."
On having fellow linebacker Jamar Chaney back:
"I'm very glad to have Chaney back. He's the leader of our team. He led Mississippi State in tackles two years. Our whole team is very excited he will be back this season."
On the new offense:
"I know this year's offense will do better with the spread offense. The offense has been giving our defense some trouble. We have skill players to spread the ball out to. I expect us to put up some big points this year. The defense will do its part; winning is a team effort."
You can find the full Arkansas Razorbacks press conference transcript by following this link.
SEC Football
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