As expected, last year’s co-defensive coordinator will become this year’s plain ol’ defensive coordinator at Mississippi State.

Dan Mullen announced via release this morning that defensive line coach Chris Wilson will replace Manny Diaz as the Bulldogs’ lead D-coordinator.  But MSU still needs to find a replacement for Diaz the linebacker coach.  Whoever the new linebacker coach is will carry the co-coordinator title that belonged to Wilson this past season.

Mullen also promoted graduate assistant Angelo Mirando to replace receivers coach Mark Hudspeth.

Hudspeth left State to become the head coach at Louisiana-Lafayette.  Diaz left Starkville to become the defensive coordinator at Texas.

Before joining Mullen’s staff last offseason, Wilson spent five years on Bob Stoops’ staff at Oklahoma.

Linebacker C.J. Johnson from Philadelphia (Miss.) High School has de-committed from Mississippi State.

Johnson made the decision after learning of defensive coordinator Manny Diaz’s decision to leave for Texas.

“It started off that Mark Hudspeth was recruiting me,” Johnson told Rivals.com, “and he left and went to Louisiana-Lafayette, and then Coach Diaz left and went to Texas, and so it kind of got me thinking about some things and I don’t feel as comfortable as I did.”

Mississippi State will remain in the running for Johnson, who will play in Saturday’s U.S. Army All-Amercian Bowl in San Antonio, Texas. Johnson told Rivals he also plans to consider LSU and Ole Miss.

“When I get home, it’s something I just want to talk about with my mom,” Johnson said. “I’m confident coach (Dan) Mullen is going to bring good people in, and hopefully I’ll be able to make a decision.

“It’s not something I’m going to drag out until signing day. I don’t want to come to a decision, and then right before signing day other things come up. It’s definitely something I’m going to sit down and talk to my mom about, and then make a final decision.”

Mississippi State receiver and passing game coordinator Mark Hudspeth has reportedly accepted the head coaching job at Louisiana-Lafayette.

In late November, Hudspeth said he was not interested in the job.  Hudspeth said in the last 24 hours that he changed his mind when contacted by ULL officials.  Now, if FootballScoop.com is correct, he’s completed his flip-flop and accepted the ULL job.

Hudspeth had been the head coach at North Alabama from 2002 to 2008 before joining Dan Mullen’s first staff in Starkville.

Mississippi State receiver coach Mark Hudspeth said today that he will not interview for the vacant head coaching position at Louisiana-Lafayette. 

“I am not a candidate and I’m full-speed ahead here,” the coach told Brandon Marcello of The Jackson Clarion-Ledger.

“I’m where I want to be.  Not to say one day down the road a position somewhere wouldn’t interest me, but I’m happy where I’m at.  Recruiting is going great.”

Hudspeth was the head coach North Alabama for seven years before joining Dan Mullen’s staff as State’s passing game coordinator before the 2009 season.