Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is Mississippi State's new head football coach, the school announced Wednesday.
The 44-year-old Moorhead joined James Franklin's Nittany Lions staff in 2016 after four years as head coach on the FCS level at Fordham, where he posted a 38-13 record. Penn State ranks seventh nationally in scoring offense this season, averaging 41.6 points per game.
"During our search, it became unequivocally clear who our next football coach was and that man was Joe Moorhead," Mississippi State athletics director John Cohen said. "Joe is a winner, a man of integrity with a blue-collar work ethic and an ability to motivate others that our student-athletes will gravitate to. His innovative offensive philosophy is a perfect fit for our program and will keep us on a path to competing for championships. I was also impressed with his detailed defensive plan. He will demand excellence on and off the field and maximize the resources we have to continue to be successful in the SEC."
Dan Mullen left Mississippi State Sunday after nine seasons to become head coach at Florida. Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt had also been mentioned as a potential replacement for Mullen, and reportedly interviewed for the job earlier this week.
Moorhead's hiring leaves three openings for head coaches in the SEC: Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas A&M.
"It's a tremendous honor to be a Mississippi State Bulldog," Moorhead said. "I am thrilled to take the reins of an SEC program that has been as successful as this one has the past decade. I look forward to getting to know the young men on our team, hiring a staff and hitting the recruiting trail quickly. My family and I are excited about being a part of the Starkville community."