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This will be the last post about college football coach hirings and firings, I promise. At least until tomorrow. Then another high-profile job will open up and rampant speculation will ensue.
The Penn State head coaching job has been vacant for almost a month, ever since Joe Paterno was fired by the university after the Jerry Sandusky case broke. On Thursday, Bodog.com released odds on who will become the next head coach of the Nittany Lions, and Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen is the favorite.
Mullen, a former Urban Meyer assistant, is listed as a 7/4 favorite to take the gig. Other candidates include Houston’s Kevin Sumlin (3/1), Harvard’s Tim Murphy (4/1), Rutgers’ Greg Schiano (5/1), soon-to-be-fired Colts head coach Jim Caldwell (15/1) and Tom Bradley (20/1), who is currently serving an interim role.
Jon Gruden isn’t listed, at least not yet, but rest assured he will be. Jon Gruden is a candidate for every job.
Mullen would be an interesting hire for Penn State, given that he has no real connections to the university. His father, apparently, has some Happy Valley ties. And Mullen does have plenty of experience coaching in the northeast, with previous stops at Syracuse and Bowling Green, among others.
But no coach in the country has the experience necessary to take over for the legendary Paterno while also dealing with the stench that will linger as a result of the Sandusky case. By my view, Mullen can land a better gig in a nicer part of the country if he remains patient.
Let someone else clean up the mess at State College.
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All odds courtesy of Bodog:
