By Ray Butler

Staff Writer

After beating in-state rival Ole Miss for the third consecutive year, the Mississippi State football team (6-6) finds itself bowl eligible for the second straight season for the first time in 11 years. The Bulldogs now find themselves in a short rest period before learning their post-season fate. 

But while some of the staff and players get to relax and catch their breath, head coach Dan Mullen is busier than ever, traveling to numerous regions and states around the country in hopes of assembling the best recruiting class possible for next season. 

“This is the busiest time of the year,” Mullen said. “This is our first opportunity to get on the road, so we’ve got seven guys out beating the path trying to get some great players to come play for us here at Mississippi State.”

But similar to much of Mullen’s three-year tenure at MSU, there is an abundance of speculation of the coach’s immediate future. This escalated on Tuesday, when reports surfaced Mullen was the leading candidate to replace Joe Paterno as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, a team that the head coach grew up cheering for. 

When asked about the report, Mullen said he takes it as a compliment to Mississippi State football as a whole.

“I think it’s great for the program,” Mullen said. “I would imagine there are two rumors about you: either rumors that you’re going somewhere or rumors you’re getting fired, so I’ll take the going somewhere rumor.”

When asked if he had been contacted by Penn State or any other school, Mullen denied comment.

“We don’t talk about that,” Mullen said. “We’ll talk about Mississippi State.”

The speculation about Penn State’s coaching vacancy comes less than a year after Mullen’s name was said to be in the mix for both the Miami Hurricanes and Florida Gators coaching positions, the latter being a school in which Mullen coached before coming to Mississippi State. It was then that MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin and the rest of State’s athletic administration decided to raise Mullen’s yearly salary, a contract extension Mullen said he remains happy with. 

“They did a great job (last year), and I’m really pleased,” said Mullen. “The school really stepped up and took care of me, and I know I’m very, very happy with the agreement that we came upon last year.”

Mullen also talked about MSU’s bowl possibilities, and said State’s preparation for its bowl will begin Dec. 9, adding that the first week of practices leading up to the bowl game will be open to the public.