SEC Hot Seat Monitor: Mississippi State's Dan Mullen

The Mississippi State Bulldogs had a season to remember in 2015. The scary thing is it could have been even better than it turned out.

MSU was ranked number one for four straight weeks in the middle of last season before losing three of their last four games to finish at 10-3. And while the finish was disappointing the season as a whole was an overwhelming success, especially considering that the Bulldogs are generally near the middle or bottom of the standings in the SEC West.

That mindset is no longer a part of this program, which is now seen nationally as a program that can play with anyone. And that change in culture can be attributed to one man – Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen.

Since arriving in Starkville, Mullen has done everything within his power to elevate the MSU program to standards that allow them to compete with teams like the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers.

Mullen is 46-31 overall in his MSU career and he has taken the Bulldogs to five straight bowl games. The program is on the rise and with the return of standout quarterback and Heisman Trophy candidate Dak Prescott in 2015, Mississippi State shows no signs of slowing down.

However, as he has done since his arrival in 2009, Mullen will keep pushing his team and his program to reach new heights. Mullen ignores the failures of many of his predecessors and focuses on just what he can do to improve MSU football right now.

As long as he keeps winning as he has, there’s no sign of Mullen being on any sort of hot seat in Starkville.

Hot seat monitor: 0 out of 10

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.