With less than two weeks remaining of another dull, enduring offseason, the Mississippi State football program was dealt an unexpected blow last Saturday when wide receivers coach Angelo Mirando resigned from the team due to personal issues. Mirando, who had been at MSU since head coach Dan Mullen’s arrival in 2009, would have been entering his second season as receivers coach with the team. 
“I have enjoyed my time at Mississippi State as a graduate assistant and as an assistant coach,” Mirando said in the statement. “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.”
With his resignation effective immediately, Mirando leaves behind a stable of veteran receivers as well as several underclassmen who also anticipate playing time in the upcoming season. Mullen, who hired away Mirando from Florida when he accepted the head coaching position at MSU, said the experience at the wide receiver position should keep the team from being distracted due to Mirando’s absence.
“The fact that we have a mature group certainly helps,” Mullen said. “When you have guys that have played a lot of football, with the leadership in the room, they run the room.”
As for who in particular Mullen expects the leadership to come from, the head coach pointed out three seniors whom MSU will rely on to help the receiving corps stay focused.
“With Chris (Smith), Arceto (Clark) and Chad (Bumphis), you have some maturity in that room,” Mullen said. “And the younger guys are just going to follow the older guys.”
In the immediate future, Mullen said he plans on coaching the wide receivers. Sometime soon, however, he said he will map out a short-term and long-term plan for the coaching position.
“We’re going to figure out over the next couple of days what our plan will be for (the position),” Mullen said. “I’m telling (the assistant coaches) to take care of their job, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
While Mirando is no longer with the MSU football program, Mullen did not discard the notion of Mirando rejoining State’s coaching staff in the future.
“We’ll see. There’s always a possibility,” Mullen said. “Anything’s possible in this world.”
While Mullen has former experience coaching wide receivers, MSU offensive coordinator Les Koenning, tight ends coach Scott Sallach, running backs coach Greg Knox and cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith have all coached the wide receiver position at some point of their coaching careers, so several in-house options are available to fill the position if that is the path the program chooses to take.
Regardless of who MSU elects to fill its vacant coaching position, efficiency at the wide receiver position will be a necessity for the Bulldogs this season. As junior Tyler Russell continues to progress as an SEC quarterback, building chemistry and confidence with the receiving corps will be crucial for Russell’s effectiveness, as well as the consistency of MSU’s offensive attack this season.