Day Two of SEC Media Days was definitely not as bland as the previous one, with Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen giving the press plenty to chat about. Sure, the day started off subtly enough with the conference’s head of officiating Steve Shaw talking about some of the changes the conference is looking into. The SEC will now have replay officials in the conference headquarter offices to work in conjunction with the replay booth officials at each stadium, who work in conjunction with the officials on the field. Certainly more hands involved in the replays will lead to more decisive and quicker decisions, right? The SEC is looking for more consistency in calls, particularly when it comes to targeting and who can blame them. This is less of a failing of the SEC officials then it is of the NCAA to give proper guidance to referees.
From there we moved on to the coaches for the day.
Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Smart is in his first year at the helm of UGA and thank goodness he gets to run a team in his own vision. He does get to do that, right? I wondered because after eight years on the staff at Alabama, Smart had to field no fewer than four questions about whether the Bulldogs would look like Alabama East, or how much his plans would mirror those of his former boss, Nick Saban. Smart would have done well to wear a shirt with UGA X’s picture on it with a line that says “I’m with him.”
- Smart will have his hands full as starting running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are both recovering from injuries and are listed as questionable for the season opener against North Carolina. Chubb, in particular, needs to become more confident in his surgically repaired knee, Smart said.
- When it comes to the depth chart, Smart said, “We’re going to play the best players that give us a chance to win.” Good philosophy. No doubt, Nick Saban would echo those thoughts.
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State
For whatever congeniality existed for the first day and a half, it got awkward quickly with Dan Mullen.
- After all the questions about how to replace super quarterback Dak Prescott were dispensed with, Mullen was asked about MSU’s admission of five-star recruit Jeffrey Simmons. The 6-3, 277 pound defensive lineman was facing misdemeanor assault charges for striking a woman several times during an altercation this past Spring. Video of the assault making its way to the internet made the case against Simmons all the more accessible. Simmons is getting suspended for the season opener by MSU.
- Mullen could have said that bringing the young man into the fold would allow for supervised punishment. He could have said that he wanted to give a youngster a second chance and not have his future ruined by the bad behavior. He could have said he wanted the MSU players to act as role models for Simmons as he grows up. Any of those likely would have drawn understanding head nods from the assembled media. Rolling over and playing opossum would have been a better choice than what Mullen did.
- In a rambling soliloquy, he used a lot of words to never answer why Simmons was getting the bargain he was getting. “Players are part of the family.” “We are just thrilled we are having Jeffrey as a part of our family. As coaches we get judged a lot on a 60 minute game on Saturday but our real job goes beyond that. We have 4-5 years to make a positive impact on a young man.” That was the answer for the moral compromise from a coach who has a sign in the locker room that says “Respect Women.”
- After his podium speech, Mullen dug a deeper hole when he was asked by Kyle Tucker of the Atlanta Journal Constitution if he would feel different if it had been his wife or daughter that had been hit. Mullen said he didn’t think his family would ever be in that situation. I can’t even begin to fathom what Mullen was implying about the victim. I am struggling to figure this out at all. My old journalism school teacher used to tell us, “When you are done writing, take your hands off the keyboard.” It was his way of telling us to stop when we really are done. So excuse me while I go wash the Dan Mullen story off my hands and move on.
Butch Jones, Tennessee
After the Dan Mullen debacle, I was never happier to see a traditional, somewhat cliché SEC football than when Butch Jones took the podium. We needed the change of story.
- Jones appropriately began his time by paying tribute to the late Tennessee Women’s Basketball Coach Pat Summitt, and took the time to wish his mom a happy 79th birthday…so happy birthday Mrs. Jones.
- Jones acknowledged that the team has had a positive upward tick over the last two years and is now considered by some to be favorite to win the SEC East. “Expectations are a compliment for how far we have come.” He said he wanted his realizing that they have to do a better job of finishing games in order to get to that elite level.
- He also acknowledged that he has one of the more experienced quarterbacks in the conference in Josh Dobbs. “We are a long way from when he didn’t even make the travel squad for week one of his freshman year.” “you can’t put a price tag on experience.”
- Jones was also asked if he was alright with his players using their platform as well known athletes to speak out on social issues. It is a topic every coach in the country should be prepared to address in the days we live in, and Jones was ready. “It’s all about freedom of speech. They are role models and as long as they are doing it for what they see as the betterment of society, then we are good with it.” Well done, coach.
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
It’s hard to imagine a coach being on the hot seat with 36-16 record in three years, but there has been nothing easy about the Kevin Sumlin era in College Station. If anything, there has frequently been news about turmoil, much of it having to do with his handling of quarterbacks and the departures of said quarterbacks. From last season to this, Sumlin has lost Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray, both of whom were starters at one time or another for Texas A&M. That opened up a spot for Trevor Knight to transfer from Oklahoma.
- Knight does not have dazzling stats with 25 touchdowns and 19 interceptions to show for his time in Norman and his gunslinger approach to the game is what cost him his starting job there and made him available to A&M. Sumlin says this is a more mature Knight. “He was a proven team leader right away because he worked for it.”
- Sumlin also took note that he has a new offensive coordinator in Noel Mazzone from UCLA, and the Aggies play the Bruins in week one of the season.
- Lastly, he showered praise on Myles Garrett, one of the best defensive ends in the country, who, it has been duly noted marches to the beat of his own drummer. Sumlin said he is a low maintenance great player. “All he needs is his head phones, the class times, the practice times and where the food is.” A renaissance man indeed.
