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Mississippi State football: Worst head coach hires in program history

By Josh Yourish

Oct 26, 2019; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Joe Moorhead looks up at the video board during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 26, 2019; College Station, TX, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Joe Moorhead looks up at the video board during the second quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; The Mississippi State Bulldogs logo on the field as the Mississippi State Bulldogs hosted the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 – 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 10, 2015; Starkville, MS, USA; The Mississippi State Bulldogs logo on the field as the Mississippi State Bulldogs hosted the Troy Trojans at Davis Wade Stadium. Mississippi State won 17 – 45. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports /

Wade Walker was given six years as the head coach of Mississippi State, from 1956-61, and only managed one winning season. He finished his tenure with a 22-32-2 overall record and more importantly an 8-30-2 record in conference play.

Walker did not give the Bulldogs a chance to compete in the SEC and his best season was overshadowed by the failures every other year. In 1957, Walker’s second season in Starkville, Mississippi State went 6-2-1 and finished 14th in the AP poll.

His team went into 1958 ranked 15th in the country, but Walker’s winning ways were unsustainable. He led the team to a 3-6 record in ’58, 2-7 in ’59, and 2-6-1 in ’60.

After a 5-5 season in 1951 that included a 1-5 record in SEC play, Walker was fired as head football coach, but retained as athletic director. Paul Davis succeeded him and won the Liberty Bowl following the 1963 season.

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