6 7 8 t took just over three years for Sylvester Croom to rebuild a Mississippi State football program that I was devastated by six straight losing seasons – three before his arrival – a second NCAA probation with sanctions during the previous decade, countless student-athlete departures, all the while installing new offensive and defensive systems with a new coaching staff. With that as a backdrop, Croom was a consensus landslide winner of the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year Award in 2007 for leading the Bulldogs to an 8-5 overall record. Croom inherited all that and more when he accepted the challenge of reconstructing the Bulldog program for the 2004 football season. His work eventually built an organization that had endured six straight seasons with no more than three wins into one that earned eight wins overall in 2007, including a post-season bowl victory, and four SEC triumphs. When Mississippi State began its search in October 2003 for the 31st head coach in the school’s long football history, the school sought an enthusiastic teacher with the energy to rebuild the Bulldog football program and an individual with an attention to detail who demands the discipline needed to bring structure to a vast organization. History will record that MSU found its man when it hired Sylvester Croom on Dec. 1, 2003. Since that hiring, Croom undertook the daunting task of constructing the foundation upon which the Bulldog football program would be rebuilt. There was little question that progress toward that goal was being achieved, even as the team won just three games in each of his first three years. In those first three years since being named to head MSU's football fortunes, the traits that made Croom the best coach for State came to life. Croom immediately became an in-demand speaker at alumni and booster events because of his forthright approach to directing the pigskin program. But his non-stop energy on the banquet circuit was only exceeded by the fervor with which he began shaping the Bulldog football operation. He established new offensive and defensive systems, paying particular attention to an attack which mirrored what he taught as a National Football League assistant. And despite 9 the fact he had been away from the college game for 17 years as a pro coach, he has been unwavering in his demand for student-athlete accountability, on the field and off it. His first two Bulldog teams finished 3-8, records he was quick to point out were not acceptable at MSU. That said, the final marks were still one-win improvements over the team he inherited. His first team posted the school’s first victory over a ranked team in four years, a 38-31 win over then-No. 20 Florida, and his second squad captured the Egg Bowl Trophy for the first time in four years. His third team concluded the year 3-9, but lost four games by Sports Illustrated rated a field goal each, three of those him the 31st most influ - being SEC contests. The Bulldogs were just one made ential minority in all of play away in each of those games from a winning season sports. “In Mississippi and a post-season bowl bid. Croom’s fourth team turned and beyond, his impact those near-misses into success has already been in 2007. State won three of its first four games, including two profound,” SI noted. road triumphs – one at Auburn, a team that eventually earned national ranking during the ’07 season. Croom’s team also won three of its last four regular season games, back-to-back wins over nationally ranked opponents Kentucky and Alabama, and a heart-throbbing victory over Ole Miss, to reclaim the Egg Bowl Trophy. That ’07 team capped the stunning turnaround by defeating Central Florida 10-3 in the 49th annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn. Croom and his ’07 Bulldog squad were the college football centerpiece of an ESPN documentary “Say It Loud,” which CROOM'S COACHING RECORDS YEAR SCHOOL RECORD BOWL / PLAYOFFS ASSISTANT COACH 1977 Alabama 11-1 Sugar 1978 Alabama 11-1 Sugar 1979 Alabama 12-0 Sugar 1980 Alabama 10-2 Cotton 1981 Alabama 9-2-1 Cotton 1982 Alabama 8-4 Liberty 1983 Alabama 8-4 Sun 1984 Alabama 5-6 1985 Alabama 9-2-1 Aloha 1986 Alabama 10-3 Sun 1987 Tampa Bay 4-11 1988 Tampa Bay 5-11 1989 Tampa Bay 5-11 1990 Tampa Bay 6-10 1991 Indianapolis 1-15 1992 San Diego 11-5 AFC Semifinals 1993 San Diego 8-8 1994 San Diego 11-5 Super Bowl XXIX 1995 San Diego 9-7 Wildcard Round 1996 San Diego 8-8 1997 Detroit 9-7 Wildcard Round 1998 Detroit 5-11 1999 Detroit 8-8 Wildcard Round 2000 Detroit 9-7 2001 Green Bay 12-4 NFC Semifinals 2002 Green Bay 12-4 Wildcard Round 2003 Green Bay 10-6 NFC Semifinals HEAD COACH 2004 Mississippi State 3-8 2005 Mississippi State 3-8 2006 Mississippi State 3-9 2007 Mississippi State 8-5 Liberty 10 aired in February 2008 celebrating African-American History Month. And Croom was recognized regionally and nationally for orchestrating that turnaround. He was named the Grant Teaff National Coach of the Year by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and was selected the 2007 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year by both the league’s coaches and by the Associated Press. He also was chosen the American Football Coaches Association Region 2 Coach of the Year, in a vote by the nation’s college coaches, and the Southeastern Coach of the Year by both the Touchdown Club of Atlanta and the Little Rock Touchdown Club. He was also honored as one of 10 finalists for the Liberty Mutual National Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the American Heart Association Paul “Bear” Bryant National Coach of the Year. Even before coaching his first football contest on the Starkville campus, Croom was recognized nationally in 2004 for his impact on the college game. Dennis Dodd ranked him #2 on CBS Sportsline’s list of the 50 CROOM VS. most relevant people in college ALL OPPONENTS football for the 2004 season. In so doing, Dodd said: “The State Alabama 2-2 program took on a more Arkansas 0-4 organized look the moment he Auburn 1-3 arrived.” Central Florida 1-0 Sports Illustrated rated him the Georgia 0-2 31st most influential minority in all Florida 1-1 of sports. “In Mississippi and Gardner-Webb 1-0 Houston 0-1 beyond, his impact has already Jacksonville State 1-0 been profound,” SI noted. Kentucky 2-2 In February 2007, Croom was LSU 0-4 invited to the White House by Maine 0-1 President George W. Bush to Murray State 1-0 celebrate African-American Ole Miss 2-2 History Month. Croom was one South Carolina 0-2 of the 200 minority leaders invited Tennessee 0-1 to the program in the East Room. Tulane 3-1 The President indicated that UAB 2-1 Croom was not only invited Vanderbilt 0-1 because he was the first African- West Virginia 0-2 American head football coach in the SEC, but because “he’s a strong leader and a fine man. And I thank you for blazing trails.” Croom came to State from the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, where he served the previous three seasons under then-Packer general manager/head coach Mike Sherman as the team’s running backs coach. He is a veteran of 32 years in the coaching profession, 17 of which have come at the profes - sional level on the offensive side of the football. He spent four years as an NFL offensive coordinator. Croom’s Packer running attack ranked third in the National Football League in 2003, averaging 160 yards per game. Under his guidance, Ahman Green 11 blossomed into salt-of-the-earth person who represents everything good.” one of the true Sherman hired Croom on Jan. 30, 2001, and the latter arrived stars of the NFL. in Green Bay after four seasons as offensive coordinator for the He finished Detroit Lions (1997-2000). second in the Croom achieved noted success during those four years in league in rushing in charge of the Detroit attack. His 1997 offense ranked second in ‘03 and was the the NFL overall, and he helped lead the Lions to a postseason fourth most productive rusher in playoff berth. Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders led the the NFL over the three seasons in which Croom was his coach. NFL in rushing and became just the third player in league The natural by-product of Green’s stellar season in 2003 was history to crack the 2,000-yard barrier that year. Wide receivers a third-straight, 12-4 regular season and a second consecutive Herman Moore and Johnnie Morton both surpassed 1,000 NFC North title. Croom, who had already accepted MSU’s head yards receiving, with Moore coaching position, helped the Packers to the second round of NOTEWORTHY leading the NFL with 104 the NFL playoffs. ACCOMPLISHMENTS catches. Detroit became In 2002, Green Bay clinched the inaugural NFC North the first organization to I Named Southeastern Conference championship with a second-straight 12-4 record. Croom’s Coach of the Year in 2007 have teammates lead the backs contributed to a Packers’ rushing effort that posted the I Part of San Diego staff that led the NFL in both rushing and most yards on the ground in 17 years.