STARKVILLE - Coaching at Penn State might seem like the perfect fit for Dan Mullen, but he insists he's perfectly happy at Mississippi State.

Reports and rumors of Mullen being a candidate for the Penn State job were in full swing Tuesday, with ESPN reporting that he was at the top of PSU's wish list of candidates.

Such "speculation," as Mullen calls it, is nothing new to him. Whenever there's an opening at a prominent program, Mullen's name seems to pop up, including last year when Florida and Miami had vacancies.

"I think it's great for the program," he said. "I would imagine there's either two rumors about you: Either rumors that you're going somewhere or rumors that you're getting fired. I'll take the going somewhere rumor better than the getting fired rumor."

Penn State is trying to replace Joe Paterno, who was forced out after nearly 46 seasons amid a sex abuse scandal involving his former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season with a 9-3 record and are currently ranked 23rd in the country.

Mullen, who's 20-17 in three seasons at MSU, including a 6-6 mark this season, declined to comment on whether he or his agent had been in contact with Penn State or any other schools.

"We don't talk about that. You know our policy," he said.

Mullen was born in Drexel Hills, Pa., about 90 miles southeast of State College. He moved to New Hampshire when he was 4 years old and spent the rest of his childhood there.

He was a fan of Penn State and Notre Dame growing up, and his father graduated from PSU. Mullen downplayed that allegiance Tuesday.

He reiterated that he's "very happy" in Starkville and praised the school for doing "a great job of supporting us and in believing what we're trying to do. We need to continue. We have a long way to go."

As the rumors involving Mullen and the vacancies at Florida and Miami swirled last year, he received a contract extension and raise from MSU: Four years, $10.6 million.

The Bulldogs went 9-4 and beat Michigan in the Gator Bowl last season.

Athletics director Scott Stricklin has said in the past that State will do whatever it must to keep Mullen around.

On Tuesday afternoon, Stricklin sent out this Twitter message: "Deja vu ... Everyone take a deep breath and pre-order bowl tickets. Speculation of this nature is the price of success."

Mullen is in the midst of a busy week. He hit the recruiting trail Sunday - the day after State beat rival Ole Miss, 31-3 - and has been in Jackson twice already this week. His upcoming itinerary includes trips to Texas and New York.

"I have people texting me, someone's saying this about you or that about you," Mullen said. "I'm pretty busy, so I don't have much time to pay attention to what goes on."

brad.locke@journalinc.com.