Mullen issues harsh criticism of Harbaugh, satellite camps
Breaking news: SEC coaches aren't big fans of Jim Harbaugh's Michigan satellite camps.
Alabama's Nick Saban and Auburn's Gus Malzahn have previously spoken out in opposition, complaining that they give Michigan a recruiting advantage SEC programs can't take advantage of since the conference has a rule against a coaching working at a camp more than 50 miles away from campus. And they were joined Tuesday by Mississippi State's Dan Mullen, who joined the chorus during an interview on HeadtoHead Radio. Mullen said that the satellite camps, of which Harbaugh has had nine across seven states throughout the Southeast this month, aren't really teaching camps (which would fall under the NCAA's allowable guidelines) but simply traveling recruiting camps.
"I like kids coming to our campus for camps," Mullen told HeadtoHead Radio. "I’d rather them come here and see us. Because they get to see campus, they get to come see our facilities, they get to see all this stuff. ... These are camps, too, where I’m coaching and teaching kids.
"The satellite camps, they’re recruiting camps. Basically, it’s a recruiting thing, a recruiting fair they’re doing it for. I imagine Jim Harbaugh, if he’s going to have a camp, would want to coach the kids in Michigan, the young kids in Michigan, maybe how to be better football players. ... So why do they need one all over the place? The only purpose obviously is for recruiting, which I don’t think is the right purpose for camps."
It's not a revelation that these are primarily recruiting camps; Mullen is stating the obvious here. He's also coming across a bit hypocritical when calling out Harbaugh while stating that he'd prefer to have the players on Mississippi State's campus to see the facilities, etc., rather than coach them at an off-site camp. The reality of the situation is that the SEC is at a disadvantage right now given the rule the conference has in place, and the coaches don't like it.
That'll change soon enough, though, as the SEC has already announced that it will lift its rule against satellite camps if the NCAA doesn't ban them entirely, something that's considered highly unlikely. It'll be interesting to hear, assuming that SEC rule change does take place, whether Mullen's tone changes with it.
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