Mullen tabs Sallach to coach tight ends
Scott Sallach
Mississippi State head football coach Dan Mullen announced March 18 his final on-field assistant for the 2013 season. Scott Sallach, who has coached tight ends since 2009, will return to the on-field post this spring. Sallach had been named coordinator of football scouting in February.
"Scott is both an outstanding football coach and a relentless recruiter," Mullen said. "When we had the opportunity to add Billy Gonzales to our staff, we anticipated this move in the future. Scott's willingness to help our program in any way should be commended. His expertise has led our tight ends to record numbers of productivity in the last four seasons."
In his first season, Sallach helped tight end Marcus Green learn the spread attack in 2009 as Green finished second on the team with 27 receptions for 306 yards. In 2010, Green was injured early in the year so Sallach had to lean on a less-experienced cast. Brandon Henderson had his most productive season, and Kendrick Cook, Thomas Webb and younger players each stepped up.
In 2011, Sallach coached All-SEC freshman phenom Malcolm Johnson, who finished tied for second on the team in touchdowns and managed a team-high 18.7 yards per catch (min. 10 receptions).
With Johnson battling injury during the first half of the 2012 season, Sallach and the Bulldogs again turned to Marcus Green. Green hauled in 19 passes for 215 yards and six touchdowns and was twice named the Mackey Award National Tight End of the Week. Johnson returned and pulled down 10 passes for 171 yards and a pair of scores. Along with Brandon Hill, the trio of tight ends combined for 34 receptions, 432 yards and eight touchdowns.
A veteran of with nearly 20 years coaching on the collegiate level, Sallach came to Mississippi State after a six-year stint at Princeton, where he coached wide receivers and quarterbacks.
He added the title of passing game coordinator prior to the 2008 season. During his time at the Ivy League school, he oversaw two of the top four career passing yardage totals and two of the best five season passing yardage efforts as passing game coordinator. He coached two of the top seven all-time receivers at Princeton, and in his six seasons coached nine allleague performers, one of whom was named an All-American.
Before his stop at Princeton, Sallach worked at Dartmouth College for five seasons (1998-2002), Monmouth for three seasons (1995-97) and Hamilton College for one season (1994). At Dartmouth, he coached the wide receivers while assisting with the special teams, specializing in kickoffs and kickoff returns.
During his tenure with the Big Green, the school set school records for completions in a game and season, and passing yards in a season. His instruction assisted a Dartmouth receiver in becoming the institution's all-time top pass-catcher for a single game, a season and a career. Sallach also tutored the school's single season leader in kickoff returns. While at Dartmouth, Sallach's receivers posted five of the school's best six single-game receiving totals, the top two single-game and career receivers, and two of the top three career receiving yardage leaders.
Sallach graduated from Ursinus College in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise and sport science.
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