Dan Mullen on potential Mississippi State football return: ‘Never say never’

Could Dan Mullen return to Starkville to serve as Mississippi State football coach again? It’s a question he answered Wednesday during an appearance on “College Sports on SiriusXM” with ESPN’s Peter Burns and Dari Nowkhah.

“You never say never going back,” Mullen said. “But I don’t know if this is the time.”

Mullen admitted he has seen his name mentioned on hot boards, and though he hasn’t received any calls from the MSU administration, he has heard from fans and friends who asked about it.

“It’s always a great honor when your name gets mentioned with stuff,” he said. “I know the people of Mississippi are so special and hold a special place in my heart.”

Mullen spent nine seasons (2009 to 2017) at Mississippi State, where he became the second-winningest coach in program history. He took the Bulldogs to new heights, including an appearance at No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff rankings in 2014.

Mullen left Mississippi State for Florida after the conclusion of the 2017 regular season. He spent four seasons with the Gators before he was fired. He has since worked as an analyst for ESPN.

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His name has been mentioned as a potential replacement for first-year coach Zach Arnett, who was fired Monday after a 4-6 start. MSU closes the regular season with games against Southern Miss on Saturday (11 a.m., SEC Network+) and Ole Miss on Nov. 23 (6:30 p.m., ESPN).

Though broadcasting assignments haven’t been made official by ESPN, Mullen said earlier this year that he could be in the booth for the Egg Bowl.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.