Getsy expected to join Moorhead's MSU staff
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It looks as though new Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead is turning to one of his former players to help fill out his staff with the Bulldogs.
The Starkville Daily News confirmed multiple media reports on Friday that Green Bay Packers wide receivers coach Luke Getsy is expected to become MSU's offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. MSU has not confirmed Getsy's hire and it is unknown when that might happen. However, the Packers conclude their National Football League season on Sunday and Moorhead said last week he was waiting for seasons to end before announcing further hires.
Getsy played quarterback for Moorhead when Moorhead was an assistant coach at Akron. Since then, Getsy has gone on to become a rising star in the coaching industry.
Getsy's coaching career started as a graduate assistant at his alma mater. He later became the offensive coordinator at West Virginia Wesleyan College, spent time as a graduate assistant at Pittsburgh, was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and was Western Michigan's wide receivers coach.
Getsy has spent the last four years with the Packers – the last two of which as wide receivers coach after two years as the team's offensive quality control coach.
Getsy impressed in his first year coaching Green Bay's wideouts. In 2016, the Packers were one of only two NFL teams to have three wide receivers with 60-plus receptions and 600-plus receiving yards.
Getsy will have a chance to make a similar immediate impact at MSU. The Bulldogs currently don't have a single receiver with more than 275 receiving yards this season with only today's TaxSlayer Bowl left to play in 2017.
However Moorhead just brought in a trio of four-star receivers – Stephen Guidry, Malik Heath and Devonta Jason – in the early signing period last week. All three guys are 6-foot-3 or taller and could give MSU the vertical threat that has been absent for much of this season once next year rolls around. It will be on Getsy to help make that happen.
Mississippi State already knew it would go into the TaxSlayer Bowl against Louisville today without quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (ankle injury/surgery) and wide receiver Donald Gray (sports hernia surgery). MSU interim head coach Greg Knox said on Friday at the TaxSlayer Bowl press conference that the Bulldogs will be down another wide receiver, too.
Sophomore wideout Keith Mixon isn't expected to be available today as he continues to recover from an ankle ailment, Knox said. Mixon has already missed four games this year, including the regular season's last two contests.
Mixon's absence is a blow to the Bulldogs, as he leads the team with 275 receiving yards this year.
Other previously-injured Bulldogs are expected to play today, however. Both linebacker Dez Harris (groin injury) and wide receiver Gabe Myles (foot injury) are expected to see action.
With Fitzgerald down, freshman quarterback Keytaon Thompson will make his first career start for Mississippi State in today's TaxSlayer Bowl.
Knox and MSU players said Friday that they anticipate Thompson will be prepared to handle everything that goes with being the starting quarterback.
Ever since Fitzgerald went down with his broken ankle in the regular season's final game, it has been apparent Thompson would get this start. Knox said Friday, that to better prepare Thompson, he went to the signal caller before bowl preparations began and told him to highlight the plays of the playbook he felt comfortable running.
Thompson then chose 50 or 60 plays, Knox said. MSU then threw out the plays Thompson wasn't as confident in and only practiced the plays Thompson felt good about.
That process has Knox believing Thompson could be primed for a successful day.
“He feels confident about what he's doing,” Knox said. “I think he is relaxed. Will he be nervous? Yes, I think he'll be nervous a little bit, but I think after his first series, things will calm down and he'll be himself. Being himself, he's a competitor and he's a player. He's going to go out and he's going to perform well. I have no doubt in my mind that kid is going to play and he's going to play like he's capable of.”