For the second time this week, Boise State coach Chris Petersen is having to quell rumors about being a candidate for the Mississippi State job. Here is what’s on the Idaho Statesman‘s Web site:
“I have a lot of respect for director of athletics Greg Byrne and the Mississippi State athletic program, but I am not taking the head coaching position at Mississippi State.
“Mississippi State has not offered me the head coaching position. I normally do not comment on coaching positions at other schools, but felt I needed to do so in this situation.
“We are very happy here at Boise State and look forward to our upcoming bowl game later this month.”
Petersen told the Clarion-Ledger earlier this week that he Boise is “where we’re going to be.”
Inside Mississippi State Sports with Brad Locke 
December 5, 2008 at 7:55 pm |
Brad, thanks for pointing out that Petersen was not “OFFERED” the job. Copy and paste it in your files, because it will come back to haunt you if you don’t…just like the fact that the State job was offered to Steve Spurrier when he was the coach at Duke, and State was too stupid. I say bring on Gil Turner or better yet…Derek Dooley.
December 5, 2008 at 8:09 pm |
of all the “bloggers” i have seen on the internet today i have to say you have been the one with the most restraint. Some of the stuff being reported earlier in the day was flat out ridiculous. Anyway i wish you all luck on finding a coach.
If you can nab Dooley i think it would be a nice steal. He has La Tech playing well, and he is already familar with the recruiting ground down there.
My comment BANK ON THIS on the other thread was directed at the guys saying Pete was a lock to take the job, not at you.
December 5, 2008 at 8:13 pm |
This doesn’t mean that Petersen wasn’t interviewed, does it? Maybe, after the interview, Byrne felt that it wasn’t a good fit. Maybe Byrne felt that Petersen’s asking price was too high, and that funds would be better spent on another candidate.
Bottom line, the MSU doom and gloomers will jump on this bit of news and assume that MSU was the jilted one. “Not so fast, my friend”, to take a line from the incomparable Lee Corso. You never know with negotiations. Maybe Petersen was interviewed in order to establish leverage with another candidate. Let’s see. Isn’t this fun?
December 5, 2008 at 8:29 pm |
not trying to make nothing out of this, but I remember another coach recently saying, “I’m not going to be the Alabama coach”
Does it mean anything, no…. jus sayin’!!!!!
I wonder who Byrne has in mind…. wish this would end, I probably just failed an accounting exam over this crazy coaching search haha
December 5, 2008 at 8:32 pm |
The thing that never made sense about this whole story was Coach Pete going to accept a job before the season is over. Why? Why not just wait a month and do it then? The Broncos team motto this year has been “finish”. Coach Pete was really going to accept a job a few weeks before the teams biggest game of the year? Become a lame duck coach and probrably lose the team before the biggest game of the year? No way. Pete is not that type of dude. He has seen three guys (Dirk Koetter, Houston Nutt, and Dan Hawkins) leave ahead of him, and none has had the type of success they had at Boise. Sure they might make 500,000-750,000 more a year, but for how long? Nutt is already on his second job. Hawkins is on the hot seast, and Koetter is about to get fired….again.
He has constantly said there is more to life than football. And in the SEC this just isnt the case. If you dont win, you are gone. Petersen really doesnt like the media either. I would venture to say the SEC media is a little more intense than the WAC media.
I just dont see Pete ever going to the SEC or really anywhere out East. the big rumor was he would leave for Oregon when that opened up, but they already named their next HC. Washington just filled up, i think Pete will be here for a while.
December 5, 2008 at 8:38 pm |
boisestate08: Just so you know, there’s way more to life at Mississippi State than football. Otherwise all we fans would have gone nuts years ago. 🙂
If Petersen stays at Boise, congrats on keeping an excellent coach. We’d sure love to see him come on down and join his buddy Byrne for obvious reasons, but I’m sure he’ll do well wherever he goes (or stays).
Also, agreed that the timing didn’t make sense. From the moment I saw that rumor, it didn’t seem logical that he’d announce his intent to leave shortly before coaching a bowl game, but I was hopeful. State could really use an offense-minded coach. That’d be a neat change of pace!
December 5, 2008 at 8:39 pm |
I think Peterson would be a great hire for us and i hope he has a good defensive cord. to come with him.I am ready for the coach to be named.
December 5, 2008 at 8:43 pm |
I think Petersen was just doing a friend a favor by saying he was not offered the job. Whoever gets the job wouldn’t want to think they are the 2nd choice.
Oh well time to move on. I would like either Graham or Wilson at this point. If it’s one of those 2, they may not even get an offer until Sunday or Monday due to the fact they have games this weekend. So it may be late next week before we know something.
December 5, 2008 at 8:54 pm |
Has GB come out with a statement yet? Until he comes out and says Petersen turned him down or names a new coach, Petersen is still on the table. We may be the doormat of the SEC right now, but we can give him a 250% raise.
Dooley would not be a good choice. We need someone with a proven track record. He may have that one day, but not now.
It’s Turner Gill, not Gil Turner. And he would be an equally bad choice as Dooley.
December 5, 2008 at 8:54 pm |
I don’t know if he was offered the job. I do think he was contacted but I just don’t see Byrne offering the job to someone if he wasn’t confident it would be accepted. Byrne said that only a few people would know what is actually going on and I think that is the case. Everybody and their brother has a source an unless that source is one of the chosen few, they have no idea what’s going on.
That being said, Petersen could have easily given a “pine box” statement today.
December 5, 2008 at 8:58 pm |
GB may have not said anything but he isnt the one taking the coaching job. Coach Pete specifically said “I’m not taking the Mississippi St job”.
I dont know if he was offered or interviewed or what. Our local news reported he was offered 4 years close to 9 mil. They also reported your AD and Coach Pete had had conversations in the past week. Coach Pete initially said no thanks four days ago, but something obviously went down since then.
December 5, 2008 at 9:03 pm |
Just wait till Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 5, 2008 at 9:05 pm |
gulfwater I hope yopu are right
December 5, 2008 at 9:06 pm |
what happens on monday?
December 5, 2008 at 9:25 pm |
Boise, I understand that GB isn’t taking the job. He is doing the hiring, and until he announces who the new coach is, Petersen is still on the table. Coaches like Saban and Tuberville denied up until the day they were hired by Bama and Auburn. Not saying that’s what’s happening here, but until something official comes from State on who the new coach is, Petersen is still available.
December 5, 2008 at 9:36 pm |
Russel is trying to win the game right now against South Panola with a minute left
December 5, 2008 at 9:39 pm |
27 yard line with 36 seconds left
December 5, 2008 at 9:43 pm |
Trying for 30 yd field goal with 10 seconds left. Russel has looked pretty good tonight
December 5, 2008 at 9:46 pm |
I hope he comes. We need him………
December 5, 2008 at 9:48 pm |
wow…..
December 5, 2008 at 9:48 pm |
Russel, Petersen or both?
December 5, 2008 at 9:49 pm |
all the above
December 5, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
feel ya. Can’t believe dude missed the field goal.
December 5, 2008 at 9:52 pm |
89-0 pressure
December 5, 2008 at 9:54 pm |
Big extra point. Missed badly
December 5, 2008 at 9:56 pm |
Huge 4th down. It could be over
December 5, 2008 at 9:57 pm |
Bet they run option
December 5, 2008 at 9:58 pm |
thats why renfro signed a baseball scho.
December 5, 2008 at 9:58 pm |
It’s over!!! Russel and Co. win the state title. Maybe he can win one as a Bulldog
December 5, 2008 at 10:02 pm |
All we need is a DAMN good coach to lead him…Do u yall know any??????????
December 5, 2008 at 10:02 pm |
Um I have won like 8 national titles in a row on NCAA Football 09 with State. Does that count?
December 5, 2008 at 10:05 pm |
Good Start till we find better. What state??????????
December 5, 2008 at 10:11 pm |
Do we keep Russell without a coach yet???
December 5, 2008 at 10:12 pm |
Nutt appears to be staying in oxford … http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3748072
December 5, 2008 at 10:13 pm |
Mississippi State and Russel said he is still committed
December 5, 2008 at 10:14 pm |
Also … Turner Gill’s Buffalo team is puttin a butt whoopin to undefeated Ball State. 42 – 24
December 5, 2008 at 10:17 pm |
I hope so………He would be a big help.
December 5, 2008 at 10:28 pm |
What about Brian Kelly???????
December 5, 2008 at 10:42 pm |
Don’t know if he’ll leave Cincy but I would love to have him
December 5, 2008 at 10:45 pm |
Buffalo won big against Ball State but didn’t do a whole lot on offense. Most points came off turnovers
December 6, 2008 at 12:37 am |
saw something on the Clarion Liar bout that GB has been interviewing 1 or 2 a day
December 6, 2008 at 7:32 am |
I think GB will announce Monday who it is. Alot of coaches are waiting after the BSC announcements (Peterson, Hoke from Ball State)
Watch Ball State’s coach, not much media attention. And Dooley is still out there
December 6, 2008 at 8:54 am |
It’s very possible and likely that Chris Peterson will become the next Miss State Head Coach. Congrat to him.
December 6, 2008 at 8:57 am |
Guys so we should have a head coach by monday?
December 6, 2008 at 8:58 am |
Also guys i’m knew to this site but i’ve been reading you guys comments for a few years now and I really enjoy it. That’s why i had to get on here.
December 6, 2008 at 9:01 am |
(new) there goes my 89 word spelling title
December 6, 2008 at 9:06 am |
My source still says its a done deal. Although as Im reading the blogs I am starting to to doubt the truth that it is Petersen. I think Petersen would be a great asset to the program, but may be committed to Boise(very honorable). I still beleive that we will have a coach by Monday.
December 6, 2008 at 9:27 am |
I just hope the search ends soon. Like I said yesterday, this has been like an addiction. I constantly check this blog over and over which I do anyways but not with nearly as much frequency. I have finals Tuesday thru Friday next week so an announcement today would be great so I can focus on the books
December 6, 2008 at 10:21 am |
Look toward Conf USA championship, Graham or Holtz
December 6, 2008 at 10:54 am |
Holtz’s name keeps coming up at Syracuse
December 6, 2008 at 11:38 am |
I think that Petersen or Graham would be a great hire, as long as Graham brought his OC Gus with him!!!!
December 6, 2008 at 11:43 am |
I live in Springdale, AR where Gus is from, ive seen what he can do. Nutt tries to take credit for the “wild hog” when it was Malzahn that came up with it, also Ark was on a 9 game win streak when Gus and Nutt had a fall in out. Nutt took over the offense and they lost their last 3 games! He would be great in Starkville!