Sylvester Croom Resigns at Mississippi State

The Sylvester Croom era is over at Mississippi State. One day after a 45-0 loss at arch-rival Mississippi, Croom announced his resignation today.

"Five years ago, Mississippi State gave me the unprecedented opportunity to be a head football coach in the Southeastern Conference and to build a program based upon a strong foundation," Croom said in a press release by the university. "I want to thank (then-president) Dr. Charles Lee and (then-athletic director) Larry Templeton for that opportunity. I also want to thank the assistant coaches and all the players who had faith and trust in me. We have tried to build a program the right way that can compete for conference championships. I believe the foundation has been set for those goals to be reached under the leadership of someone else, and it was my decision to resign."

Croom was the first African-American hired to lead a team in the Southeastern Conference. Unfortunately, in five years with Mississippi State, Croom only managed to post a winning record once -- the 2007 Bulldogs finished 8-5 and won the Liberty Bowl, earning Croom several Coach of the Year awards.

That season was, by far, the high watermark for Croom and the Bulldogs. A substantial rebuilding project generated three consecutive three-win seasons (3-8, 3-8, 3-9) from 2004-06.

Mississippi State's surprising uptick last year provided a glimmer of hope, but the wheels fell off again this season. The Bulldogs finished tied for last in the SEC West with Arkansas, posting a 2-6 conference record and 4-8 mark overall.

Included in the 2008 missteps were a season-opening road loss at Louisiana Tech, an ugly 3-2 home loss to Auburn and Friday's shellacking at Ole Miss' hands. Whether or not Croom had made up his mind to resign prior to yesterday's rout is unclear, but it's a fair assumption.

So where does Mississippi State go from here? Having watched Houston Nutt quickly turn Mississippi into a contender, the Bulldogs are plenty familiar that a quick turnaround can occur, and thus will want to make a splash. One possible replacement: Clemson-ex Tommy Bowden.

Bowden's name is an interesting one, but Mississippi State would be wise to take some time here -- Bowden's run at Clemson ended disastrously, Mississippi State is up against it playing in the SEC, and there's that aforementioned race factor. Croom's departure means there are just three African-American head coaches left in the FBS -- Mississippi State was a ground-breaker when it brought Croom in, and it makes sense to at least give consideration to some minority candidates.

Whichever coach inherits Croom's spot has work to do. Even during last year's impressive run, Mississippi State struggled to generate much offense. This season, the Bulldogs scored seven points or less in five losses.

As for Croom, he'll likely have the opportunity to coach again -- if not as a head man somewhere in the college ranks, then back in the NFL, where he spent nearly two decades.