Mullen is a good coach. But I have two major concerns regarding his fit at Miami:
1)
Can he fix the defense?
Mullen's defenses at Mississippi State have been pretty crappy. Aside from a very good season in 2011 with Fletcher Cox and two NFL corners, here are MSU's ranks in defensive yards-per-play under Mullen:
2015- 54th
2014- 72nd
2013- 70th
2012- 58th
2010- 40th
2009- 82nd
It's not impossible to build a strong defense in Starksville. Jackie Sherrill had some killer units in the late '90s. But Mullen hasn't done it.
Also, many posters have justifiably criticized Charlie Strong for his defensive failures at Texas. Are the same people ready to hitch their wagon to
Manny Diaz?
2)
How long before he finds "his type of QB?"
It's no secret that Mullen's offense works best with a certain type of QB- a strong, powerful runner who can also throw. Those guys are hard to find. It took Mullen five years to uncover Dak Prescott.
Even at Florida, Mullen struggled to adapt to Chris Leak. The offense fell off significantly when Mullen took over for Fedora, dropping from 13th to 63rd in yards per play. Things did not pick up until Tebow started getting involved in 2006.
How long would it take Mullen to find his QB in Miami? Kaaya is not that guy. Rosier is only an OK runner and does not look like a special talent. Shireffs and Allison are pocket passers. This may be a short-term concern, but how patient is the fanbase going to be? The right quarterback may be four years away.
There are other significant concerns, but these are two major reasons why I can't place him above Butch.