Mississippi State officially announces Joe Moorhead as head coach

It's official. Mississippi State has their man.

The university officially concluded its search for a new bench boss Wednesday, as athletic director John Cohen announced that Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead has been hired to replace Dan Mullen as the Bulldogs next head coach.

"During our search, it became unequivocally clear who our next football coach was and that man was Joe Moorhead," 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."

"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. I am grateful to John Cohen and Dr. Mark Keenum for giving me this opportunity, and I am proud to be your coach."

Moorhead spent the last two seasons as Penn State's offensive coordinator, with the previous four years spent as head coach at Fordham.