BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton didn't set out to make history when he sought a replacement for football coach Jackie Sherrill. He just wanted to hire a good coach.

Even before Sherrill announced his resignation, effective at the end of the 2003 season, Templeton had a short list of candidates. Just in case.

When the search process began, Templeton didn't limit himself to the short list. He wanted more names, more input.

A close friend gave him both. "Sylvester Croom," the friend said.

Templeton already knew about Croom. He was the Green Bay Packers assistant coach who, a year earlier, seemed on the verge of becoming the coach at Alabama, where he once was an All-American center under coach Bear Bryant.

At every opportunity, Templeton dropped Croom's name to get a reaction. He said the responses were amazingly similar and never negative. The more Templeton heard, the more excited he became about a candidate he had never met. As good as the references were, the meeting on the outskirts of Green Bay was even better.

"After my first visit with him, I knew we had found the jewel," Templeton said.

A "jewel?" It seemed like an odd choice of words for an athletic director to use in describing a football coach, but it characterized Templeton's infatuation with his candidate. Right then, he knew he wanted Croom as his coach.

It had nothing to do with Croom being black. And it had nothing to do with making history. After all, what's the point of hiring the first black head football coach in SEC history if the guy can't coach?

"I'd done enough research," Templeton said. "I don't think there's ever been a more thorough search (for a coach). I knew he could coach."

He didn't know if he could hire him. Croom, who was comfortable in his role as an NFL assistant coach, was understandably reluctant about head-coaching searches after coming agonizingly close to getting the Alabama job.

"He had gotten to the altar on that one," Templeton said. "He didn't want to go to the altar again."

In fact, Croom came to the meeting with Templeton intent on turning down the job. Templeton saw a transformation as they talked.

"During the course of the evening, he saw this wasn't a token interview," Templeton said. "It was about halfway through this conversation that I saw him light up. It's one of those special times in your career you will always remember."

Months have passed since Templeton hired Croom, yet he still gets revved up talking about his new coach. Fans share his enthusiasm, he said.

"He's already had an impact," Templeton said. "He has rallied our troops and created excitement. Normally, when you hire a new coach, he embraces the team. The thing I've seen is just the opposite.

"The team has put their arms around the coach. There's a huge difference.

There's also a huge challenge. The Bulldogs have lost 27 games the last three years. In the last six games under Sherrill, they were outscored 267-57.

Things could get worse before they get better. The Bulldogs are awaiting their sentence from the NCAA for rules violations. Back on the field, they're a consensus pick to finish last in the SEC West.

But an athletic director who's convinced he hired a jewel of a coach is anything but pessimistic.

"It's going to take some time for us to reload, but we will be patient with (the new coach)," he said. "We're going to beat some people this year that we're not supposed to beat."

The Bulldogs are already winning in the media. Sports Illustrated has profiled Croom, and all the national television networks have been to Starkville.

"The exposure has been incredible," Templeton said. "Not a week goes by that we haven't been visited by the national media."

The more Templeton talks about the advantages of hiring Croom, the more you wonder why Alabama chose Mike Shula. Not only was Croom's resume superior, but he afforded the Tide a rare opportunity for positive publicity.

Instead of being ridiculed for coaching scandals and NCAA probation, Alabama suddenly would have been hailed as the first SEC school to hire a black head coach. Templeton sees Alabama's loss as his gain.

"I talked to a number of people who were close to (the Alabama coaching search)," Templeton said. "They were totally convinced he was ready to be a head coach in the Southeastern Conference."

Templeton is just as convinced.

John Adams may be reached at 865-342-6284 or adamsj@knews.com