Through third parties, Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead had an idea he could be a candidate for head coach at Mississippi State before the Bulldogs were technically even in the market for one. MSU athletic director John Cohen, who took the position barely one year ago after a long and successful career as a baseball coach, had known well in advance that he may need a new football coach, so he had been consistently researching and preparing for some time when the moment to act finally came.
The whirlwind began Sunday when MSU’s coaching vacancy became official, and over the next 48 hours, neither Cohen nor Moorhead had more than seconds at a time to let their minds stop racing.