The thrill is gone.
We know Greg Byrne is leaving Mississippi State for the University of Arizona. The questions is, can we blame him?
The answer: No. As much as it pains the Bulldog faithful to lose “The Ninja,” Byrne made the right decision for himself and his family. It’s been said before; if the wife is happy, the husband is happy, and this is a move that will make the First Lady of sports very happy.
Byrne and his wife are both from the West, and that is where the majority of their friends and family live. You can’t fault them for wanting to be close to their loved ones.
There are many who want to say Byrne only left for the money. He has said himself it is not the reason, but it’s understandable that people question how genuine he was. Of course he’s not going to come out and say, ‘I’m greedy and wanted as much money as I can get,’ even if that were the case. However, it’s not the case. MSU offered Byrne a raise to compete with Arizona. He could have stayed in Starkville and not had to move his family across the country for a job that paid the same.
Byrne turned down the job multiple times. He didn’t just do it once in a playful ‘ask me again, and I’ll say yes,’ kind of way. The only reason he even returned Arizona’s call in the first place was to recommend other people for the job. Byrne wanted to stay in Starkville. That’s a fact which most Dawg fans seem to ignore. It took weeks of persuading for UA to convince Byrne to move back to his homeland.
In the minds of many, Byrne never wanted to be here. He was just here until the next best offer came around. Again, that’s just not true.
Byrne had to be begged to move to a place close to his family and friends. Most people would jump at the chance to do that in their profession of choice. Yet, Byrne hesitated.
Unlike many public figures, Byrne is a genuine person. If he didn’t truly love Starkville, he wouldn’t go so far out of his way to say he did. In seeing and hearing Byrne talk since the decision was made public, he is clearly torn about the decision and sad to be leaving Starkville.
One of the staples of Mississippi State fans is the ‘woe is me’ attitude. It’s not everyone, but there are those who believe bad things are always going to happen to MSU. They expect good things to backfire, or at least claim to have expected it when they do.
Yes, Byrne’s resignation is unfortunate for MSU. However, it’s not the end of the world. MSU President Mark Keenum will do the search the right way, and he will find a replacement in the same mold as Byrne. And if the new person leaves after a couple years of success, Keenum will find another person.
Greg Byrne was great for MSU, and will surely do wonders for Arizona, but he is not the only smart person in America. He’s not the only person right for this job.
Sure, it makes you feel better to have an excuse. If MSU underperforms in any athletics for the next few years, Byrne will be the excuse used to make fans feel better about mediocrity. An Athletic Director is not an excuse. The NCAA or SEC ‘hating us’ is not an excuse. If MSU loses, it’s because they weren’t the better team. I’m sure Dan Mullen would tell you that.
The Bulldog faithful need to get over the ‘poor us’ mentality that is running rampant right now. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn’t help the program improve. It doesn’t encourage the players when the fans are already drowning their sorrows before the game or season even starts. If you want this to be the home of winners and a place where coaches and A.D.s want to stay, you’ve got to do your part.
I realize I’m not speaking to all MSU fans with those comments, but to everyone reading this: Byrne wants the Bulldogs to succeed, and life at the Bryan Building will go on.
Don’t be mad at Byrne for making the right decision for his family, and don’t assume it’s all going down the tubes. MSU is in good hands with Keenum and with coaches like Mullen, Rick Stansbury, John Cohen and Sharon Fanning-Otis.
To steal a line from a famous young redhead, the sun will come up tomorrow.