There’s a lot of hate for Keenum on this board, who would be a legitimate candidate to replace him? We seem to forget, maybe nobody outside the university knew at the time, that Doc Fogelsong wasn’t a great choice pre-Keenum. I think Keenum has had his good moments and successes, or maybe it seems that way because he wasn’t Fogelsong. But, I also think it’s probably time for a change. You can’t have a prolonged period of coasting without going downhill, and it sure seems like the administration is much like some of our athletic teams. They can’t block or tackle, shoot or defend, or hit and not make errors. The big things in life make headlines, but the little things in life are what determines success or failure, and we don’t seem to be doing those things well.
Who would you choose to replace Keenum?
- Thread starter AADAWG
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Jerry jones, of course! He’s amazing and only lacks a QB***
I said it before and I’ll say it again: @DesotoCountyDawg ‘s Weed Science Guy™ a.k.a. IHL Commish Alfred Rankins could be a legitimate candidate because you know the IHL wants its guy as President and Rankins is a MSU alum & ex-prof.
Now just because someone could be a legit candidate doesn’t necessarily mean I’d be in favor of that person.
I’d very much prefer an outsider but I seriously doubt the IHL board would.
Now just because someone could be a legit candidate doesn’t necessarily mean I’d be in favor of that person.
I’d very much prefer an outsider but I seriously doubt the IHL board would.
Greg Byrne grew our AD. Ninja style and the cheerleader tried to continue the ninjas moves. Then Keenum thought he could get cute by hiring Cohen as AD that's where the whole AD started to sh**the bed. Now we are beginning to feel the repercussions of Keenums dubmassery. Amazing how our athletic department went to shizz once Byrne left and then the TIDe became the premier football team in the country.
We very much need an outsider.
Exactly. We need another Zacharias.
A serious answer that I would actually consider if you want an outsider that has historical worked at "have nots" would be North Alabama's president, Kenneth Kitts. His whole career has been at much smaller institutions, but he would be interesting. I linked to an article from a couple of years ago below.
Kenneth D. Kitts
If State had actually been proactive on this with competent leadership instead of the IHL, Michael Benson, who was announced a few months ago that he will be West Virginia University's new president, would've been a great hire. I believe Ole Miss interviewed him when they were looking for a chancellor in 2019.
No way the IHL approves anyone that would be considered that much of an outside though.
Kenneth D. Kitts
If State had actually been proactive on this with competent leadership instead of the IHL, Michael Benson, who was announced a few months ago that he will be West Virginia University's new president, would've been a great hire. I believe Ole Miss interviewed him when they were looking for a chancellor in 2019.
No way the IHL approves anyone that would be considered that much of an outside though.
I'm not a Keenum fan (can't stand that fake plastic smile and monotone voice) but I don't think he is all bad, just lazy when it comes to hiring coaches and ADs. He just needs to stay in his lane and instead of hiring a "search firm" and not doing what they say, he needs to do exactly what they say and not what he wants to do in his gut.
Uncle Baby Billy's Bulldog Bonkers would be an awesome game show.
We need another Zacharias. He came from Western Kentucky, not really the pedigree most land grants would have gone through, but every good thing that has happened to MSU in the past 30 years has been because of Zacharias and his leadership.
Funny someone else mentioned Dr. Kitts at UNA. He's a rising star. Schulz is still at Washington State. He'd be a candidate but I'm not sure I like "got the payday from the Pac 12 breakup" as a qualifier because they were left out.
You have to look at someone like Robert Jones at Clemson. He's a forestry guy but a Clemson grad. His wife is a renowned veterinary professor. He's been at Clemson as Executive VP for Academics for a decade under Clements, who I think is the best land grant president in the country (former West Virginia, been at Clemson since '13).
Some of you think its irrational, but my worry is MSU's placement in a post-2030 college sports landscape. He may run the university in the ground before we get there, but Keenum might be our best chance to stay in major college football. We have an athletic director and football coach that are in over their head.
Funny someone else mentioned Dr. Kitts at UNA. He's a rising star. Schulz is still at Washington State. He'd be a candidate but I'm not sure I like "got the payday from the Pac 12 breakup" as a qualifier because they were left out.
You have to look at someone like Robert Jones at Clemson. He's a forestry guy but a Clemson grad. His wife is a renowned veterinary professor. He's been at Clemson as Executive VP for Academics for a decade under Clements, who I think is the best land grant president in the country (former West Virginia, been at Clemson since '13).
Some of you think its irrational, but my worry is MSU's placement in a post-2030 college sports landscape. He may run the university in the ground before we get there, but Keenum might be our best chance to stay in major college football. We have an athletic director and football coach that are in over their head.
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As much as all of ya'll hate Keenum, I do hope he stays. He's not as bad as many of you say. He just needs to stay out of athletics.
Not an endorsement for keeping Keenum, but he has led MSU to some incredible successes. Phi Beta Kappa was extremely hard to obtain, but he kept at it until we were granted a chapter. Largest enrollments in history even though most on SPS believe our student recruitment sucks. Our US News rankings will always be terrible due to federal court mandated admissions standards. Endowment and fund raising has never been better. Yes, we have challenges and at some point new, fresh leadership is needed. Our athletic programs are where wholesale leadership change is past due.
And academics, apparently.
I completely agree about Dr. Jones and Dr. Clements. Unfortunately Dr. Jones did announce that he's going to retire later this year. Maybe you could entice him not to. I've had the privilege of spending a fair amount of time with him and his wife over the years. You won't find better people.
I'd love to be able to pull Clements from CU, no way it'd happen, it would be great for Mississippi State and the State of Mississippi. One of my good friends reports directly to him at Clemson, and my buddy only has great things to say.
You do not understand the fundamentals of the arguments being made if you believe those two things.
Our enrollment is so high because we are paying for mediocre students. Ole Miss has the same restrictions on admission standards and they are middle of the pack SEC.
Clements is incredible. I don't think he would leave Clemson, but we should throw the bank at him if he would. Like you said, Jones is retiring, but he might could give us five good years. Both would fit in wonderfully at MSU. There are a lot of MSU people working at Clemson in high positions that would follow either of them home to make MSU better.
Clemson is ranked #80 in the US News rankings because of Clements. Just behind Georgia. Only A&M, Texas, Florida and Vanderbilt are ranked higher in the SEC.
Thomas Clemson in his will deeded the land with one simple instruction: Make Clemson as much like Mississippi A&M as possible.
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Apropos of this paragraph, Clemson broke ground on its vet school earlier this year. It’s planned to open in Fall 2026.
Dr. Jones even for five years could improve MSU's standing academically so much IMO.
I bet we could get Tromp. Seems like a good culture fit too...
It's going to be huge for the State of South Carolina since it's the first vet school within the state. It likely will affect State because currently SC residents get in state tuition for vet school at MSU. .
Hate to agree with this but we do have a lot of very average students. State seems to be the place they all seem to know they can get in. They usually only hang around for a year or two at most. My daughter is a student at State so I feel I have some perspective on this.
We are a distant last in the SEC in academics and doing everything in our power to replace Vandy as the worst in athletics. What metrics am I missing here ?
ETA: If we intend to stay in the SEC
This may be an apples to oranges comparison in skill requirements but Mary Graham at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has done some incredible work. If you haven't been to the Perkinston campus in a while, take a look when you pass by on 49 and make sure you check out their athletic facilities.
Yep. There's always this. Someone mentioned a JUCO coach to replace Lemonis as well.
This is the MState mentality. Go mediocre or go home. I want my alma mater to go all out like Ole Miss does. Make people turn us down. Show that we give a ****. We should be calling sitting AAU presidents to get them here. West Virginia got Gordon Gee from Ohio State.
That’s their Polk II — Gee previously served as Prez of WVU in 1981 - 85
Incidentally, Gee was also Ohio State’s Polk II
So you're saying he has hired AD's like Todd Hoffman ran his gold mine. Makes sense.
