Report: Tim Brewster to take over as Mississippi State WR coach

Mississippi State wasted no time in filling its wide receivers coaching vacancy, and even managed to fill it with a name that will be immediately familiar to most college football fans.

There didn't seem to be much hope of the Bulldogs hiring anyone of substance in time for the season when former receivers coach Angelo Mirando resigned abruptly Sunday night, citing unspecified "personal issues." But Dan Mullen proved otherwise, reportedly hiring former Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster.

The decision was reported by multiple outlets, with Clarion-Ledger reporter Dan Marcello citing a source that said Brewster was already en route to Starkville.

The former NFL assistant coached the Gophers for four seasons, leading them to to back-to-back Insight Bowl appearances in 2008 and 2009 before being dismissed seven games (and six losses) into the 2010 season.

Since his dismissal, Brewster had entered the media, working as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports in 2011. He had recently been hired as a sideline reporter and college football analyst for the CBS Sports Network for the 2012 season.

Despite ultimately failing as the Gophers' head coach, Brewster's head coaching experience and unflagging energy for the recruiting trail -- the area where he made his biggest mark in Minneapolis -- make him a natural, appealing fit for a position coaching vacancy. Especially on such short notice, a hire like this one might even qualify as a "coup" for Mullen--particularly given the brutal competition on the SEC West recruiting trail and lack of in-state talent compared to the Bulldogs' rivals in Louisiana and Alabama.

Sunday, it seemed as if Mirando's sudden departure might be a legitimate hiccup for the Bulldogs. And while it still won't help where the 2012 season is concerned, Brewster's rapid arrival should mean that his decision could turn out (and maybe should turn out) to be a positive for State in the long run.