When Mississippi State began its search for the 31st head coach in its long football history, the university sought an enthusiastic teacher with the energy to rebuild the Bulldog football program, an individual with an attention to detail who demands the discipline needed to bring structure to a vast organization. On all accounts, MSU found its man in 49-year old Sylvester Croom.

"Sylvester Croom met all of the criteria we laid forth for the selection of a new head football coach at Mississippi State," Director of Athletics Larry Templeton said. "We went after the best football coach and we're confident we found that individual in Sylvester Croom. We're excited to welcome him to the Mississippi State family."

Croom comes to State from the National Football League's Green Bay Packers, where he has served the past three seasons as the team's running backs coach. He is a veteran of 28 years in the coaching profession, 17 of which have come at the professional level on the offensive side of the football. He has spent four years as an NFL offensive coordinator.

Croom's Packer running attack currently ranks first in the National Football League, averaging 163 yards per game. Under his guidance, Ahman Green has blossomed into one of the true stars of the NFL. He currently leads the league in rushing this season, and is the fourth most productive rusher in the NFL over the last three campaigns.

In 2002, Green Bay clinched the inaugural NFC North championship with a second-straight 12-4 record. Croom's backs contributed to a Packers' rushing effort that posted the most yards on the ground in 17 years. His rushers helped Green Bay rank fifth in the National Football Conference in that category. As part of that effort, Green earned his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl on the heels of his third-straight 1,000-yard season. He ranked fourth in the NFC in rushing. Additionally, Croom's work with undrafted free agent Tony Fisher furthered his reputation as a successful teacher. Fisher's rushing total was the most by a Green Bay rookie in 16 years.

In his first season in Green Bay, Croom helped the Pack qualify for the post-season for the first time in three years with a 12-4 record. Green Bay defeated San Francisco in the NFC Wild Card game, the Packers' first post-season win in three seasons. Green posted a second-consecutive 1,000-yard season and led the team in receptions for a second-straight year. Green was second in the NFC in both rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage. Under Croom's tutelage, Green was named the team's Most Valuable Player and earned his first trip to Hawaii's Pro Bowl. He was also a second-team All-Pro selection by the Associated Press.

During his three seasons in Green Bay, the Packers have been the second-most successful NFL franchise, winning nearly 70 percent of their games over that stretch.

Hired by Packer General Manager/Head Coach Mike Sherman on Jan. 30, 2001, Croom arrived in Green Bay after four seasons as offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions (1997-2000).

Croom achieved noted success during those four years in charge of the Detroit attack. His 1997 offense ranked second in the NFL overall, and he helped lead the Lions to a post-season playoff berth. Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders led the NFL in rushing and became just the third player in league history to crack the 2,000-yard barrier that year. Wide receivers Herman Moore and Johnnie Morton both surpassed 1,000 yards receiving, with Moore leading the NFL with 104 catches. Detroit became the first organization to have teammates lead the NFL in both rushing and receiving in the same season. Moore and Morton entered the 2003 season Nos. 7 and 21, respectively, on the NFL's top active receivers list.

In 1998, Sanders rushed for nearly 1,500 yards, and Morton duplicated the feat of more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season. One year later, Morton and Germaine Crowell combined for nearly 2,500 yards receiving and tight end David Sloan earned a trip to the Pro Bowl with the best production by a Lion tight end in 20 years.

Croom helped lead Detroit to its best finish in three seasons during the 2000 campaign, narrowly missing a second-straight post-season appearance, what would have been the third in his four seasons in the Motor City.

Prior to his tenure with Detroit, Croom tutored the San Diego Charger running backs for five seasons (1992-96). During that span, the Chargers twice won American Football Conference Western Division titles and participated in postseason play three times. The '94 Charger team not only won a Western Division championship, it won a pair of postseason contests and played in Super Bowl XXIX.

Under Croom's direction, second-year back Natrone Means set a team rushing record in 1994 with 1,350 yards. It was in San Diego where Croom first joined the staff of head coach Bobby Ross, with whom he made the move to Detroit.

"He's as good a coach as you could ask for on the field and in the classroom," Ross said. "He is a great communicator with coaches and with players."

Croom broke into the NFL as running backs coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1987. He worked in Tampa for four years (1987-90), before joining the Indianapolis Colts in the same capacity for one season (1991).

But the Tuscaloosa, Ala., native also has a solid resume on the college coaching level. He worked for 11 seasons at his alma mater, the University of Alabama, all on the defensive side of the football. Croom oversaw both the inside (1977-81, 1984-86) and outside (1982-83) linebackers during his tenure with the Crimson Tide. He helped Alabama to back-to-back national championships in 1978-79. With his help, Alabama led the Southeastern Conference in total defense during the 1979 and '80 seasons. That '79 team recorded five shutout wins, gave up just seven touchdowns all season, and allowed only 180 yards of total offense per game during its championship run.

During his coaching tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide went to 10 postseason bowl games in 11 years. He accompanied Alabama teams to the Sugar Bowl (1977-79), Cotton Bowl (1980-81), Sun Bowl (1983, '86), Liberty Bowl (1976, '82), and Aloha Bowl 1985) while in Tuscaloosa. Croom helped Alabama teams to a composite 102-28-2 record during those 11 seasons.

Croom began his Alabama coaching tenure on the staff of legendary Tide head football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and stayed in Tuscaloosa when Ray Perkins was hired to succeed Bryant. Croom only left UA when Perkins took him to Tampa Bay when the latter was named the head coach there.

Croom also enjoyed a measure of teaching success on the collegiate level at Alabama. Four of his players, E.J. Junior (1981), Mike Pitts (1983), Cornelius Bennett (1987) and the late Derrick Thomas (1989) all became first-round NFL draft picks following their days with Croom. Two of his linebackers – Wayne Davis (1983-86) and Thomas Boyd (1978-81) rank one-two on Alabama's all-time tackle chart, while Thomas still ranks first in career sacks at UA.

Croom first enjoyed achievement at Alabama as a player under Bryant, lettering for three seasons (1972-74) and starting the final two at center, helping the Tide to a 22-2 overall record as a starter. During his playing career with the Tide, Alabama captured three straight SEC titles and the national championship in 1973. The Crimson Tide went to the Cotton, Sugar and Orange Bowls during his playing career.

As a senior captain, the 6-0, 229-pound Croom was named all-SEC and a Kodak All-America, in addition to earning the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best offensive lineman in the league. He earned a trip to the 1975 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., for his standout play. He was so respected by the Alabama coaching staff for his devotion to the game of football that the program each spring awards the "Sylvester Croom Commitment to Excellence Award." Before making his mark at center while at UA, he had stints at linebacker, tight end and tackle.

At just 20 years of age, Croom earned a bachelor's degree in history from Alabama, with a minor in biology in 1975. He earned his master's degree in educational administration in 1977 from UA as well.

A 1975 free agent signee of the New Orleans Saints following his playing days at Alabama, Croom played one season in the NFL before going back to Tuscaloosa to launch his coaching career as a graduate assistant in 1976. He worked with the centers during that one-season apprenticeship.

Born Sept. 25, 1954, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Sylvester Croom Jr. starred at Tuscaloosa High School as a linebacker and tight end. His wife, Jeri, is also a Tuscaloosa native. The couple has a daughter, Jennifer, who lives with husband Ira Bates and infant daughter, Ryan, in Mobile, Ala.

The son of a Tuscaloosa minister, Croom's late father, mother and aunts were all school teachers. The elder Croom served as the team chaplain at the University of Alabama, and was recently recognized posthumously by the institution as one of the 40 pioneers of civil rights in the state.