There’s a line in the movie “The American President” in which Michael Douglas — playing the Prez — tells the public, “I was so busy trying to keep my job that I forgot to do my job.”

Derek Dooley should order that film from Netflix.  Or maybe he should ask deposed Mississippi State hoops coach Rick Stansbury for advice.

For the second year in a row, Tennessee’s football coach appears to be on the verge of losing his team’s locker room because he refuses to put his foot down when star players walk over him, his staff and his rules.

Receiver Da’Rick Rogers — we chronicled his previous issues yesterday — has done something to earn himself another ban from UT’s football team.  That would be the player’s second ban this offseason, though Dooley refuses for some reason to use the word “suspension.”  The first “ban” came when Rogers allegedly made “a physical threat to a strength coach.”  Scuttlebutt claims the tempestuous star tossed a weight at one of the staff members.

Yesterday, the coach said his All-SEC wideout could return from his current — break? hiatus? timeout? vacation? siesta? — as soon as he completes a few tasks.  Sources claim that simply means running some extra laps.

If that’s indeed the case then it looks like Rogers would rather run to Georgia State instead.  On Wednesday night the player tweeted: “Georgia State.  Wasup?”  Yesterday a report from Panthersville.com — the Scout site covering GSU — wrote “GSU May Snag 5-Star SEC Transfer.”  In the story, they contacted the Georgia native and Rogers told the site:


“Georgia State would be the only place I’d look at.”


Uh, yeah.  Rogers going to North Alabama while Terry Bowden was running that ship?  That I could see.  Bill Curry putting up with a diva dissing him and his staff?  Rogers better be prepared to have his facemask jerked.

Remarkably, when Dooley was asked yesterday about the possibility of Rogers leaving, the coach said: “I don’t have any knowledge of him wanting to leave.  He’s never told me that, or indicated that to me or anybody else.”

Which tells us that Dooley doesn’t follow Rogers’ Twitter feed or read Panthersville.com.  Apparently.

The coach needs to win this year or else his rump could be headed back to the Louisiana Tech-level of coaching.  (Actually, the Bulldogs are winning more since he left, so perhaps he’d land at a coaching rung lower than Tech.)  With receiver Justin Hunter still on the mend from major knee surgery Dooley obviously wants to hang onto his best pass-catcher for now, at least. 

But at what point is Rogers’ on-field talent offset by his off-field demeanor?  After all, Tennessee’s team went 5-7 and lost to Kentucky with Rogers last season.

While a number of Vol players told the press yesterday that they still support Rogers, others posted some rather odd comments on Twitter after Dooley’s “he’s just got some things to do” presser.

Offensive lineman Jawuan James wrote:  “What you allow you encourage.”  Was he referring to Dooley’s lack of action with Rogers or some mother not disciplining her kid in the McDonald’s line in front of him?  You decide.

Defensive lineman Maurice Couch posted via his Twitter feed: “Talk is cheap lead with actions.”  Aimed at Dooley?  Aimed at Rogers?  Aimed at something else entirely?

We could be wrong, but it sure looks like 2 + 2 = 4 in this case.

The whole Tennessee-Dooley-Rogers situation is very reminiscent of Stansbury’s decision to recruit, sign and then put up with Renardo Sidney’s attitude issues at Mississippi State.  When Sidney got into a fight on national television with teammate Elgin Bailey, the guy with more potential stayed and Bailey left.  When Sidney worked out last summer with John Lucas in Houston rather than travel with his teammates on a preseason European tour, Stansbury said his big man was still in his good graces.

But this past season, the Bulldogs’ locker room went up in flames as players openly alluded to certain teammates not giving enough effort, not being in shape, and not having a proper attitude.  Stansbury fiddled while Starkville burned.

The coach’s decision to let Sidney poison his locker room eventually ended said coach’s stay in said locker room.

Dooley is now walking down the same path.  He allowed star safety Janzen Jackson chance after chance after chance to the point that some former Vol assistants even grew tired of it.  Jackson let Dooley down in the end and was forced out by school policy, not Dooley’s.

It seems he’s determined to give the talented Rogers as many chances as it takes to get his head straight.  Meanwhile, Rogers apparently contemplates a move to Georgia State.

Dooley should be so lucky.

UT’s coach has a Sidney problem on his hands.  And if he doesn’t fix it soon, UT athletic director Dave Hart may come to believe that he’s got a Stansbury problem on his.

Vanderbilt assistant coach Dan Muller is the latest candidate to replace Rick Stansbury as Mississippi State’s head basketball coach, according to a report from CBSSports.com.

Muller, who’s been a member of Vanderbilt’s staff for 12 seasons, also serves as the Commodores’ recruiting coordinator. Muller played for Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings at Illinois State from 1995-98.

Murray State coach Steve Prohm and Valparaiso coach Bryce Drew are the latest coaches to choose not to pursue the job at Mississippi State.

Could it be Dan Muller and Dan Mullen in Starkville? Perhaps.

Forward Arnett Moultrie won’t return to Mississippi State for his senior year.

Moultrie announced his intention on Wednesday to enter the NBA Draft and sign with an agent, which would end his college career.

“I have enjoyed my time at Mississippi State University and I will never forget the people I met and got to know,” Moultrie said. “Keep me in your prayers and I will keep Bulldog Nation in mine.”

There’s still a chance Moultrie could keep his college options open, according to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. Parrish cites sources saying Moultrie is considering, on some level, the idea of graduating from Mississippi State, entering a graduate program at another school and applying for a waiver to finish his career elsewhere.

Parrish also wrote on twitter he thinks it’s unlikely Moutlrie, who has yet to sign the paperwork with an agent, will decide to remain in college.

Let me be clear: I fully expect Arnett Moultrie in the draft. I’m just telling you that other option has been discussed with him.

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) March 28, 2012

One thing is certain: Moultrie’s time at Mississippi State is finished.

After initially defending his track record after a season-ending NIT loss, Rick Stansbury decided to “retire” two days later.  In the two weeks since his announcement, Mississippi State’s coaching search has been pretty quiet aside from the mention of Murray State’s Steve Prohm as the Dogs’ “top priority.”  But Prohm re-upped with the Racers yesterday.  And a late night post from Wisconsin claiming Milwaukee’s Rob Jeter would be taking over in Starkville turned out to be poppycock.

Now, in addition to Stansbury, there’s going to be a lot more turnover in Starkville.

Much-maligned big man Renardo Sidney announced last night that he will turn pro.  “I appreciate Mississippi State giving me an opportunity to play, but I feel it’s time for me to move on. … I’m entering the draft to follow my dream of playing in the NBA and to help my family.”

Here’s hoping Sidney grows up, turns his attitude around, and has a successful career (though it’s more likely to start in the Ukraine than in the NBA).  Still, this appears to be addition by subtraction when it comes to team chemistry.

Freshman guard DeVille Smith will also be hitting the road.  Yesterday it was learned that he will be transferring, possibly to nearby Jackson State.  Dee Bost just graduated and one point guard signee has already asked for his release from State (though it’s not been granted yet).  In terms of the point guard position, Smith’s loss is purely subtraction by subtraction.

Meanwhile, MSU’s double-double man from last season — former UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie — is still mulling his own NBA future.  Expected to make a final announcement yesterday, the player said instead that he’ll decide “right after” he meets with AD Scott Stricklin on Wednesday.

As South Carolina celebrates the hire of Frank Martin from Kansas State on the other end of the conference, Mississippi State looks to be a tad wobbly at the moment.  That’s not to say Stricklin can’t land a top-notch coach to calm the situation.  But a top-notch coach is exactly what he must find at this point.

Murray State basketball coach Steve Prohm won’t be Mississippi State’s next coach.

Murray State announced it has agreed on a one-year extension with Prohm, whose new deal will run through May 31, 2016.

Prohm’s base salary will increase to $270,000 and his total compensation will be $300,000 annually, which would fall well short of what Mississippi State was capable of offering.

“I love it here,” Prohm told CBSSports.com of his deal to stay at Murray State. “They gave me a great opportunity.”

Prohm was considered last week to be Mississippi State’s “primary target” to replace Rick Stansbury. Now, MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin will have to look elsewhere.

And with South Carolina expected to hire Kansas State coach Frank Martin, you can expect Mississippi State fans will push even harder for the Bulldogs to land a big name in Starkville.

According to Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com, Mississippi State’s search to replace Rick Stansbury is focusing in on Murray State head coach Steve Prohm:


“According to sources, at least one person working on behalf of Mississippi State has already reached out to Prohm, whose Racers were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Marquette on Saturday.  The next step in the process remains unclear.  But, multiple sources said, Prohm is Mississippi State’s primary target for now.”


Parrish also states that Prohm would be interested in MSU’s job because of the clear upgrade from Murray State (“prestige) and a big boost in salary (“milions of dollars”).  Prohm is also a good ol’ Southern man, raised in Georgia and an Alabama grad.  He’s also recruited the Magnolia State well for Murray State.

To make if more clear that State is targeting Prohm, WPSD-TV in Paducah, Kentucky is reporting that Murray State AD didn’t appreciate MSU’s search firm — Parker Executive Search out of Atlanta — placing a call to his coach last week during the Racers NCAA run.

“I think there’s a right way to do things.  Considering we were still playing — it is what it is.”  He said his coach handled things properly by alerting him to the “would-ya-be-interested” call he received.

Also in that television report it’s pointed out that Prohm said after his team’s ouster from the tournament (and after being contacted by MSU):  “Oh, yeah, I’ll be back in Murray.  I’ll be back in Murray.  I love Murray and I want to be at Murray.  We signed a great class and we’ve got great kids coming back.  We’ve got a great future here.”

Is that a play for leverage with State?  Maybe.  But after a meeting between the coach and Murray State AD that lasted “for several hours” yesterday, Ward said: “There’s a great chance he’ll stay.  In the end, I think he’ll be back.”

Prohm is 37-years-old and he just concluded his first season as a head coach, replacing Billy Kennedy who left the Racers for Texas A&M prior to this season.  Granted, a 31-2 record is pretty doggone impressive, but hiring Prohm would basically be like hiring an assistant coach — which is what he was from 1998 through 2011 at Centenary, Southeastern Louisiana, Tulane, and under Kennedy at Murray State.

When a major school hires an assistant said aide usually comes from a bigger program.  Had Prohm not had his one year in the sun this season, would State be chasing him?  Or is a one-year run long enough for Parker Executive and AD Scott Stricklin to truly gauge a winner?

Arkansas once hired a long-time assistant with one good year of head coaching experience under his belt named Stan Heath.  Heath left that program in a mess roster- and APR-wise when he was dismissed in 2007.  Five years later, he took South Florida on an impressive run to the NCAA tourney this year.  But that success doesn’t mean much for Arkansas.

Prohm makes sense in that he knows the SEC and he’s recruited Mississippi.  But his track record as a head coach is short and there’s no denying that Kennedy was the head coach as Murray State’s program was being built.

If, however, Prohm does wind up being Mississippi State’s man, expect us to write that “There’s a date for the Prohm” when the Bulldogs schedule the announcement.  There’s no way we’ll be able to avoid writing that.  Sorry in advance.

Meanwhile, Oral Roberts head coach Scott Sutton has also been mentioned in connection with the job in Starkville.

Smack-dab in the heart of spring practice, we at MrSEC.com thought it would be a good time to step back and taken inventory of where each SEC football program stands as it heads into the fall of 2012.

As is usually the case around here, we looked to back things up with some numbers.  So below you’ll see that we’ve ranked the SEC’s programs — East and then West — according to their status in a number of categories.

Here’s how our formula works:


* Stability at head coach = 10 points

* Stability at offensive coordinator = 10 points

* Stability at defensive coordinator = 10 points

* Stability at starting quarterback = 10 points

* Total number of starters expected to return = 1 point per starter

* Total number of 2011 SEC wins for 2012 foes = -1 point per opponent’s victory (Missouri and Texas A&M — for argument’s sake — were graded as though they’d gone 4-4 last season… so -4 if they’re on a team’s schedule)

* Hot seat questions about coach or turmoil in the program = – 10 points


Before we show the results, let’s be clear that we understand that it’s entirely likely that fans of a school will view any coaching change as a positive.  The same goes for some quarterback departures.  But we’re grading stability here and no one can truly project who’s do what when the games start this fall.  (After all, the same coordinators and QBs you hated last year were once viewed as your squad’s saviors.)

One school — South Carolina — has lost its true defensive coordinator but promoted it’s co-defensive coordinator from within.  We gave them 5 points rather than the full 10 on the stability scale for that reason.  Paul Petrino has returned as Arkansas’ offensive coordinator after a short absence so they got 5 points on the stability scale, too.

Also, we look at which teams have their starting quarterbacks from a year ago on the roster.  That doesn’t mean last year’s starter will win the job in 2012.

Finally, we’ll explain why we’ve deducted “stress & turmoil” points for some schools as we lay out the list.

Now, to the numbers for the SEC East:

These aren’t our projections for the fall standings, of course, just a look at which programs appear to be most stable this spring moving forward.

We’ve deducted “Stress & Turmoil” points from Kentucky (Joker Phillips is on the hot seat), Missouri (they’re switching leagues and their starting quarterback is now a question mark due to injury), Tennessee (Derek Dooley is on the hot seat, 7/9ths of his staff has changed and their were team unity problems last year) and Florida (Will Muschamp will start to hear more Ron Zook talk if he doesn’t have a better Year Two than Year One).

Now for the SEC West:

Again, these aren’t our fall projections.  We’re simply looking at which programs appear to be the most stable headed toward their fall schedule.

We’ve deducted “Stress & Turmoil” points from Mississippi State (last year was a step back and Dan Mullen needs to beat someone in the SEC West other than Ole Miss), Auburn (turnover with the coordinators and folks asking how good Gene Chizik really is), Ole Miss (turnover across the board), and Texas A&M (turnover across the board plus they’re switching conferences).


Observations:

Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, Georgia and South Carolina look to be in good shape overall.  Ditto Vanderbilt, though they’re successes are judged at a different level for now.

The numbers suggest Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Florida have the most obstacles to overcome over the next few weeks and months.  Doesn’t mean they can’t do it… just means they have more question marks.

As for those teams in the middle — Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi State — it appears they’re in decent shape heading into “prove it” years or their programs and their coaches.  Moving from the Big 12 to the SEC, this season will obviously be such a year for Missouri, too.

We’ll discuss these numbers tonight on CSS’ “SportsNite” in a bit more detail.  Hope you’ll join us at 6pm ET.

And then there were two.  Only Florida and Kentucky of the SEC remain alive in postseason play.  Alabama and Vanderbilt have already exited the NCAAs.  Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU were vanquished from the NIT last week.  And last night, Tennessee got the heave-ho, too.

Making matters worse, said heaving and hoing came on their homecourt to in-state rival Middle Tennessee State.  The Blue Raiders scored the game’s final 15 points to pull out a 71-64 win in Knoxville.  MTSU’s Kermit Davis — a Mississippi State grad — has boosted his resume with wins over Ole Miss and Tennessee and a close loss to Vandy this year.  Scott Stricklin, are you paying attention?

For the Vols, they once again showed why Cuonzo Martin dedicated so much of his energy to improving their defense this year — he inherited no shooters when he arrived in Knoxville.  Tennessee shot 37% from the floor and hit just 1-of-13 treys on the night.

Martin said his 19-15 Vols made progress from the start of the season to the end.  A 10-6 record in SEC play and a #2 seed in the conference tournament are testament to that fact.

But missing the NCAAs and losing — in one season, mind you — to in-state rivals Memphis (twice), Vanderbilt, Austin-Peay, and MTSU will be hard for the Vol fanbase to stomach.  Whether fans realize the hand Martin was dealt or not.  (And please spare us the “he had four 4-star players” routine because one was suspended and the other three didn’t play any better for the last coach than they did for Tennessee’s new one.)

When the season started, UT was picked for 11th in the SEC.  On the whole, they far exceeded expectations.

Unfortunately, their second-round exit from the NIT only further shows that the SEC as a league has underachieved this season.  God speed, Kentucky and Florida.  Mike Slive’s league needs ya to keep winning.

Asked about his job security after a disappointing one-and-done exit from the NIT on Tuesday night, Rick Stansbury said that his record spoke for itself.

Two days later he stepped down as Mississippi State’s head basketball coach, saying:

“It’s time in my life to start a new chapter, and I’m ready for it.  Everybody knows how important my family is to me, so I’m ready to become a better father and better husband.  My wife and my young sons were all absolutely the #1 reason for this decision, and there’s not even a close second.  After 28 years in basketball, I’m at peace with this.  This is a happy day.”

So how does one go from defending his own record to walking away for family’s sake on a “happy day?”  Well, a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with AD Scott Stricklin on Wednesday had something to do with it.  In fact, when asked what would have happened had Stansbury not offered to resign, Stricklin said only, “That’s hard to speculate.”

Stansbury no doubt felt pressure to step aside from a fanbase that had lost faith in him as well.  And that kind of pressure can have a nasty effect on a man’s wife and children.

Stricklin said of his meeting with Stansbury: “I’ll be honest, I did a lot of listening and let Rick really talk through what was going on in his heart and his head.”  Stricklin called the meeting “much more personal than normal” and he said that there was “a peace that came over him, and a calm in his facial expression and everything.”  How nice.  Sounds like the description of someone’s peaceful slide into death.

But while Stricklin tried to make the situation sound like a Stansbury-only choice, the coach made it clear his boss didn’t try to talk him out of retiring.

“We both agreed to this,” Stansbury said during yesterday’s presser.  “We’ve had a couple of disappointing years.  Our standards, which we created, there’s no one to blame but me for that.  I’ll take responsibility for that…  Any time a team is not successful, the coach is responsible.  I take all the responsibility.  Nobody else.  When your team wins, the players get all the credit and that’s the way it should be.  You win as a team, you lose as a team.”

Well, actually it sounds like you win as a team, you lose as a coach.

Asked if he would be retiring if his Bulldogs were currently playing the NCAA Tournament, Stansbury said, “That’s a good question.  But I can tell you this, it’s not about being tired, even though I’ve done it for 22 years.  It’s not about that.  It’s really about this stage of my life.”

The coach was noticeably emotional and his wife “cried throughout the announcement.”  So while Stansbury might have stepped aside on his own to be with his family, let there be no doubt that this year’s losses, three years without an NCAA tourney bid, and growing pressure from fans and his boss played a hefty role in his decision.

For now, Stansbury is expected to stay on at MSU in some capacity, but that role has not yet been finalized.  But this writer fully expects Stansbury — a man who posted 10 20-win seasons in a 14-year run in Starkville — to coach again somewhere, someday.  He is only 52.

As for reaction, MSU recruits and recent signees were shocked by the news.  The father of freshman Rodney Hood said “transferring is not a conversation” for their family and that he trusts Stricklin to make a good hire.

Renardo Sidney — the big man who seemed to be a 300-pound albatross around Stansbury’s neck the last few years — put out a long series of tweets in which he called his ex-coach a “great man” for putting up “with my sh-t all 3 years and I want to say thanks for all u done for me and my family and I’m truly sorry.”  He also defended himself from fans and media who’ve fingered him as being a big part of MSU’s recent problems.  Then he admitted, “I have been selfish, lazy, not willing to work, and that’s my fault not anybody else.”  (Which kind of backs up why everyone has pointed to him as being a big part of MSU’s recent problems, no?)  Sidney did not announce whether he would return to Starkville or leave early for the NBA, er, Ukrainian League.

Now the focus turns to replacing the winningest coach in State’s history.  Stricklin opened the search talk by stating:

“I think every issue is correctable, every problem can be fixed.  We’ve got a chance to build upon what Rick has done here with our basketball program and we have a program that can win consistently, like Rick has done and put ourselves in a position to win championships, which Rick has done.”

State can of course find and hire a winner.  But the school’s history of winning is really just 20 years old and ties almost totally to Richard Williams and Stansbury.  Stansbury was promoted from Williams’ staff.  Williams was promoted from Bob Boyd’s staff before him.  As we noted yesterday, it’s been 30 years since MSU has made an outside hire of a basketball coach.

If it were up to Dee Bost — who just completed an outstanding career at State — the Bulldogs would stay in house this time around, too.  On Twitter he wrote: “I think all alumni and fans should try to get Coach (Phil) Cunningham as coach.”

Cunningham has been a Stansbury aide since 2000.  But that move wouldn’t be met with cheers from a fanbase that wants change.  For that reason, the usual names are being kicked around: VCU’s Shaka Smart and Wichita State’s Gregg Marshall.  (Smart knocked Marshall from the NCAA tourney last night, by the way — not that one game should make a difference in who is hired.)

Smart is one of the hottest names in the country and one must wonder if he’d be gung-ho to move to a school that just turned on its best-ever coach… in a conference that features his old boss (Anthony Grant).  Also, with State pouring money into football facilities, would MSU be willing to outbid other schools for Smart?

Marshall — a South Carolina native — is expected to be a top choice of the Gamecocks.  Mississippi State has a better track record of recent success than USC, but the Palmetto State is home.  If Marshall has to pick between the two.

Several names being tossed around have Mississippi ties: MTSU’s Kermit Davis (who beat Ole Miss this year, lost to Vandy and faces Tennessee on Monday) is a former Bulldog player and the son of a former MSU head coach.  Larry Eustachy had Southern Miss back in the NCAA Tournament this season.  And ex-Kentucky player Sean Woods led Mississippi Valley State to the Big Dance as well.

Don’t discount assistants from other programs, either.  Stricklin just hired a Texas A&M assistant to take over State’s women’s program and Dan Mullen has had success with MSU football.  So an assistant from a top-level program is also a possibility.

Whoever Stricklin chooses, Stansbury said yesterday he’ll support him.  “Whoever he hires, I promise you I’ll know him a whole lot better than he knows him, whoever it is.  He’ll get a good guy.  He’ll get a coach better than me.”

Based on Mississippi State’s history, that’s doubtful.  After all, Stansbury was the best basketball coach Starkville had ever seen.  Finding someone better will require a damn fine search.

Finally, one more note on Stansbury as we close our wrap-up.  The now-retired coach flirted closely with Clemson just two seasons ago.  Had he moved when he had the chance, he’d be getting ready for next season rather than selling his “this is a happy day” spiel.

Just more evidence that coaches need to always stay one step ahead of the posse and get when the gettin’s good.  Fourteen years at one school?  That’s too long in this day and age.

Rick Stansbury said Thursday it was his decision to step down as Mississippi State’s basketball coach after 14 seasons at the helm.

Stansbury said he met with athletic director Scott Stricklin on Wednesday morning before making the decision.

“We both agreed to this,” Stansbury said, according to Brad Locke of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Stansbury, who is married and the father of three children, said the opportunity to spend more time with his family was a factor in his decision.

“It’s time in my life to start a new chapter, to step away from coaching,” Stansbury said. “I’m ready for it.”

Stricklin has to be ready to find a new basketball coach at Mississippi State.

“He’ll get a coach better than me,” Stansbury said.

That will be easier said than done. Stansbury’s tenure at Mississippi State was largely successful. He compiled a 293-165 record in 14 years and took the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament six times.

Of course, Mississippi State’s late-season collapse kept the Bulldogs from reaching the NCAA tournament for a seventh time under Stansbury. He accepted blame for that disappointment.

“I’m not throwing anybody under the bus,” Stansbury said. “Any time a team is not successful, the coach is responsible.”

Stansbury is responsible for plenty of success, too.