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Talk of Mullen to Penn State is premature

PENN STATE might be turning its sad and lonely eyes to . . . Philly-connected Dan Mullen. The Mississippi State coach's whirlwind day began yesterday with an ESPN.com report that he had emerged as the top choice to replace Joe Paterno.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is 6-6 this year and 20-17 in his three years with the Bulldogs. (Garry Jones/AP Photo)
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is 6-6 this year and 20-17 in his three years with the Bulldogs. (Garry Jones/AP Photo)Read more

PENN STATE might be turning its sad and lonely eyes to . . . Philly-connected Dan Mullen.

The Mississippi State coach's whirlwind day began yesterday with an ESPN.com report that he had emerged as the top choice to replace Joe Paterno.

Mullen's day became way more complicated when a Jackson, Miss., television station reported, apparently in error, that he was close to signing a deal with Penn State.

That was refuted by Mullen, according to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger. Mullen, who was attending an awards ceremony in Jackson, said the report was the "most irresponsible reporting that I've ever heard of."

Joe Galbraith, the Bulldogs' director of media relations for football, tweeted last night that WAPT-TV sports reporter Ray Coleman showed up at the awards ceremony "to apologize for the station's erroneous report."

MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin, who was with Mullen at the awards ceremony, also denied the report.

"They quoted a source close to the school," Stricklin told the Clarion-Ledger. "I can't imagine who that could be, because I haven't been contacted by Penn State and Dan hasn't been contacted by Penn State. It's not a story, period."

In case you don't know him, Mullen is 20-17 in his third year at Mississippi State, his first head-coaching job, including 6-6 this year. Before that, he was Florida's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in the Tim Tebow era.

His only known connection to Penn State is that his father is an alum. That lack of association might give Mullen an inside track should Penn State decide a thorough housecleaning is needed after the scandal involving Jerry Sandusky. Penn State's former defensive coordinator faces 40 charges of sexually abusing children. Paterno was fired on Nov. 9, after 46 years as Penn State's head coach, after the scandal broke.

Mullen, 39, did not exactly dismiss ESPN's report at a regularly scheduled, after-the-season news conference yesterday in Starkville.

"Great," Mullen said with sarcasm. "I'm sure I'm on everybody's [list]. Am I right? Every time a job comes open, doesn't my name come up?"

Mullen was born in suburban Philadelphia and lived for a time in Drexel Hill. His wife Megan, a former anchor at Golf Channel, is from Pittsburgh. They have a 1-year-old son, Canon.

Mullen attended high school in New Hampshire. He played tight end at Ursinus College and graduated in 1994. He is 6-6 this season and has the Bulldogs bowl-eligible.

He worked under new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer three times, most impressively from 2005-08 at Florida. The Gators were national champions in 2006 and '08 and Tebow won the Heisman Trophy in 2007. Mullen and current Temple coach Steve Addazio coached together 4 years at Florida.

"I cheered for [Penn State] and Notre Dame," Mullen said at his news conference yesterday. "But I guess I was raised in a Catholic household. My dad graduated from [PSU] I think in '66. But probably no different than a kid who grew up in Starkville and was raised a Mississippi State fan. Just kinda what they knew in the Northeast. I'm also a big Philadelphia and Boston sports fan."

Mullen began his coaching career in 1994 at Wagner. He coached the wide receivers there for 2 years, then held the same position at Columbia for 2 years. He was a graduate assistant offensive coach at Syracuse in 1998 and had the same job at Notre Dame in 1999 and 2000. He was Bowling Green's quarterbacks coach under Meyer in 2001-02. He followed Meyer to Utah, where he again coached quarterbacks in 2003-04.

Mullen had a meeting scheduled yesterday afternoon with his players to talk about academics and the Bulldogs' bowl situation.

"I tell [the players] I'm happy here and let's worry about being here," Mullen said. "Every single job that comes open last year my name came up with."

After beating Michigan in last season's Gator Bowl, Mullen signed a 4-year contract worth $10.6 million, with a $1.4 million buyout.

"I think it's great for the program," Mullen said about the rumors. "I would imagine there's two rumors about you. Either rumors you're going somewhere or rumors you're getting fired. So I'll take the going somewhere rumor than the getting fired rumor."

The report and rumors emerged a day after Penn State announced it had put together a search committee to find Paterno's replacement. Acting athletic director Dave Joyner is the chairman of the committee.