Mullen thinks Harbaugh's satellite camps are recruiting camps
Dan Mullen is another SEC coach who isn't a fan of satellite camps.
In an interview with HeadtoHead Radio, Mullen said the satellite camps Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh are having this summer are recruiting camps. Michigan is having nine camps in seven states in June via a loophole in NCAA rules that allows teams to guest coach at camps more than 50 miles away from the school's campus. The SEC has banned the loophole.
"I’m not into — I like kids coming to our campus for camps," Mullen said. "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 … see our guys in the weight room and just see everything.
"I’m a bigger fan of that …, 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."
Interesting shade there, eh? When the host responded "If that were the purpose," Mullen continued.
"If it was a purpose. I’m sure they have one. 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. We’ve probably had 1,000 kids on campus in camps and there’s probably a couple guys that will be SEC players out of that group but there’s a lot of guys learning a lot of football and that’s our job as coaches to promote and help the game and help young people learn and see how to be better football players not to just go out and recruit."
Saying that the camps Michigan is hosting around the country are for recruiting purposes isn't earth-shattering news at all. Of course they're recruiting camps. And of course Mullen's camps at Mississippi State are recruiting camps too.
It's hard to understand any frustration Mullen would have with the recruiting aspect of Harbaugh's camps right after he mentions wanting to get players on Mississippi State's campus. Getting players to see the campus and the players on it is a way of selling the school as a potential destination. It's indisputable. Part of the reason teams have camps is to identify which players to recruit. Sure, coaches may actually love coaching kids, but come on, we're not naive.
It's also unfair to say that Harbaugh isn't coaching the kids at his satellite camps. You don't think he was offering some instruction during his shirtless game of flag football recently?
The whole satellite camp thing is ridiculous. After all, the SEC said it'll join the practice if the camps aren't banned by the NCAA. And if the SEC does allow it, we can't see Mullen sitting on the sidelines for moral reasons. He can always say it's an opportunity to coach (and not recruit) more kids.
For more Mississippi State news, visit BulldogBlitz.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
