STARKVILLE — The college football season is ending and, as often is the case, Dan Mullen is being mentioned as a possible replacement at vacant head coaching jobs.
The seventh-year Mississippi State coach recently interviewed for the opening at the University of Miami, Dave Hyde of the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reported Tuesday.
Miami fired its coach, Al Golden, on Oct. 26. Golden was 32-25 in four-plus seasons with the Hurricanes.
Mullen did not respond to messages from The Dispatch asking for a comment.
On Tuesday night, while attending the presentation of the Conerly Trophy in Jackson, Mullen told reporters he would not comment on other jobs. MSU quarterback Dak Prescott won the Conerly Trophy, which is given to the top college football player in Mississippi each year.
ESPN reported that Mullen met with Miami either Sunday or Monday. He also reportedly interviewed for the job when it was open in 2010.
Hyde reported that both former Hurricanes coach Butch Davis, 64, and former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano interviewed for the job, as well. Davis, a former Hurricanes defensive coordinator, has been out of coaching since he was fired by North Carolina in the summer of 2011. Miami has also talked to Mark Richt, who was fired by Georgia on Sunday. The Miami Herald and 247Sports reported Richt — who played quarterback at Miami in the early 1980s — is the frontrunner for the job.
Mullen is 54-35 in seven seasons in Starkville. His teams have appeared in six bowl games.
Mullen made $4 million this season. In February, he signed a contract extension that runs until 2018. The extension and raise will pay him an average of $4.275 million over the next three years. If Mullen does leave, his contract will have to be bought out.
With the finances MSU has, it will be hard to lure Mullen away, but Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports reported that Miami may be able to pay it’s new coach around $4 million a year. Golden made $2.5 million.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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