Former college football coach Dan Mullen has served as a color commentator and studio analyst for the past two seasons at ESPN. But that may not be a long-term role for him, as he recently discussed the possibility of a return to coaching after an opening emerged at his former school.
Mullen served as the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs from 2009-2017, where he had moderate success with the program. He most notably led the team to an Orange Bowl appearance in 2014.
Mississippi State parted ways with head coach Zach Arnett on Monday, opening the coaching search up to several different potential candidates.
Mullen appeared on College Sports on SiriusXM on Wednesday, where he was asked whether he was considering a potential return to Mississippi State if he is offered the job. And it sounds like he is at the very least contemplating that possibility.
“It’s always a great honor when you get mentioned in this stuff,” said Mullen of being mentioned in Mississippi State’s coaching search. “The people of Mississippi are so special, and they hold a special place in my heart. I would say you never say never. You never say never, but I don’t know if this is the right time.”
Dan Mullen is the 2nd winningest coach in Mississippi State history and went to 8 bowl games in 9 seasons. Would he return to Starkville?@PeterBurnsESPN and @ESPNDari asked Mullen just that question. #HailState pic.twitter.com/lcZV3LRVgp
— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) November 15, 2023
You can hear in his voice alone that this may be something that he is at least entertaining.
His tone certainly sounds different in this interview than it did when similarly asked about a potential return to coaching last year.
Mullen’s name was brought up back in January for a potential offensive coordinator job at Alabama. According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Mullen wanted to concentrate on his TV career as an analyst.
In talking to several close to the situation, Dan Mullen is not a candidate for @AlabamaFTBL’s OC job. Mullen has enjoyed the time away from coaching to be with his family and also wants to concentrate on his TV career as a football analyst.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 25, 2023
He very well may still be interested in focusing solely on his career at ESPN. But considering Mullen is the second-winningest coach in Mississippi State history, he is certainly a strong candidate to get the job if he is indeed interested.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.