STARKVILLE — Peter Sirmon has learned a lot in his travels as a college football coach.
Whether it was the two seasons at Tennessee, the two years at his alma mater Washington, or the two seasons at Southern California, Sirmon soaked up knowledge in an effort to become a better coach.
So when Sirmon received an opportunity to become defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Mississippi State, he felt ready.
Sirmon feels everything he has learned as a player and as a coach will help him in his transition to a new role on a new staff in a new league. The fact that Sirmon isn’t MSU’s only new coach on defense will add a new wrinkle to the adjustment process. Along with Sirmon, MSU football coach Dan Mullen has added Terrell Buckley (cornerbacks, recruiting coordinator) Maurice Linguist (safeties). The three new coaches were officially introduced Monday.
“I think sometimes when you come in with other people, it really forces you to do a great job with the terminology, the install, the language,” said Sirmon, who worked last season as the associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, and linebackers coach at USC. He was the interim defensive coordinator in the 2015 Holiday Bowl against Wisconsin. “You get a chance to be whoever you want to be. Sometimes when you come in there are two or three guys that have been there in the past and that’s a tougher transition just from the way we’ve done things to the way we’re going to do things.”
Sirmon, who played seven seasons with the NFL’s Tennessee Titans, replaces Manny Diaz, who was hired to be the new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Miami under first-year coach Mark Richt.
Buckley was hired to replace Tony Hughes, who left to become the head coach at Jackson State, as MSU’s new safeties coach, but when cornerbacks coach Deshea Townsend left for the Titans, Buckley was moved to cornerbacks and Linguist was hired to coach the safeties.
Buckley said Townsend was a big reason he came to MSU. He said this situation is a different than any he has experienced as a coach.
“Now we have to put our minds together and see what we’re going to do, how we’re going to do it,” Buckley said. “Nobody knows the players, so it’s going to take a little longer than it normally would.”
The Pascagoula native played at Florida State, where he was a consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award, which is given to the nation’s top defensive back, in 1991. He played 13 seasons in the NFL and won Super Bowl XXXVI with the New England Patriots. He has coached at Florida State, Akron, and Louisville.
Linguist, who spent the past two seasons as the defensive passing game coordinator for Iowa State, said he and Buckley already have bonded because of the subculture a secondary needs to have.
“He’s been great to be with,” Linguist said. “He’s played in the league and he’s coached at some high level places. He’s got a good calm spirit and we communicate well together. We’re just excited about developing our relationship on the back end.”
Linguist, who played safety at Baylor, said he loves stepping into a new situation and working with a different set of coaches. He said Sirmon has been easy to work with.
“We’re excited about putting these pieces together, just coming in here grinding every day,” Linguist said.
Even though there are three new faces on the defensive coaching staff, there is a familiar face. David Turner, who coaches the defensive line, was the only coach to stay at MSU. Mullen promoted Turner to assistant head coach.
Buckley said he has leaned on Turner to help him learn about recruiting. Linguist said Turner is a good reference to learn the temperament of some of his safeties.
Sirmon said Turner has been invaluable during the transition.
“He is a guy that’s an ultimate professional,” Sirmon said. “He’s been great in our install meetings, brought a lot of wealth and knowledge to what they’ve done in the past and the way they’ve done it at other places, so he’s been a great sounding board.”
All three new coaches are excited to start spring practice March 9 and to see their players play. All three have approached the job with a good attitude.
Sirmon, who watched every MSU game in 2015, said he will continue to grow as a coach in hopes of reaching his ultimate goal of winning a championship.
“It’s really not about what I want to do,” Sirmon said. “We’ve gone through and we’ve already studied the conference. I think when you get into these situations, you need to identify what you need to do to win a championship, not what I’ve done in the past.”
n In other news, Madison Central’s Brad Peterson will join the staff in a non-coaching position a team spokesperson confirmed last Friday.
The hire is expected to be made official sometime this week.
“Just want to thank everyone for all the calls, tweets and texts,” Peterson tweeted Friday. “Working to respond to all but taking a while to get through them. Thanks.”
Peterson will take over the role of director of player personnel, a role formerly held by Rockey Felker. Felker will remain with the program in a similar role.
Peterson led the Jaguars to a 9-6 record and an appearance in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A North Half State championship game, where they lost to eventual state champion Starkville.
Before taking over at Madison Central, Peterson spent five seasons at Brandon, where he went 50-18.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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