Just minutes into Steve Mooshagian’s promising tenure as Sacramento State’s new head football coach things started to unravel for the former National Football League assistant.

As he prepared to address the Sacramento media for the first time, a large school banner positioned behind the podium came crashing to the ground — instantly grabbing the attention of the reporters and cameramen in the room.

Was this a sign? Is Mooshagian doomed to bear the same fate former coach John Volek endured during his final season with the Hornet program?

While Sacramento media-types waded through memories of PAM cans, suspensions and team violations, Mooshagian did the unthinkable. He didn’t buckle. He didn’t dodge questions. And, most of all, he didn’t leave those watching uneasy with the situation as Volek sometimes did.

Instead, Mooshagian used it to jumpstart his head coaching career. Nothing, including a billboard-sized banner, was going to stop Mooshagian from letting everyone know his full intentions of coming to this campus.

Simply put: he is going to build a winning program here at Sac State by the time everything is said and done.

“I’m not going to make any timetable promises,” Mooshagian said. “But we will win next season. I want to be a top-tier program.”

The banner wasn’t a sign of things to come; that banner was symbolic of the programs past. While the banner remained lifeless behind Mooshagian, the former Cincinnati Bengals receiver’s coach left it there — in his rear view.

“That may lead to bigger and better things,” Mooshagian said with a charismatic smile that seemed to alleviate all the fear.

You see, Mooshagian has no intention of dwelling on the past. He doesn’t really care about the Hornets 7-16 record during the past two seasons or the 10-game losing streak they racked up. He doesn’t care much about the national controversy the Hornets found themselves in either.

All he cares about is the future.

“The biggest thing that (the players) said is they want to have someone lead them to the Promised Land,” Mooshagian said following a meeting with some of the players.

And right now, he seems like the guy to take them there. He is resilient, confident, brash and experienced. He is the guy responsible for building one of the top receiving corps in the NFL while with the Bengals. He was the silver lining on one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams.

Plus, he is where he wants to be — back in the college ranks as a leading man.

“I felt that the Good Lord put me here for a reason,” Mooshagian said. “My reason is to help student-athletes.

“I believe in these student-athletes,” he added. “There are good enough players here to win.”

And if there isn’t, Mooshagian is dead set on finding those who will. A proven recruiter, Mooshagian looks forward to crisscrossing California in search of football talent. And that includes starting in his own backyard, Sacramento, a goldmine for Div. I talent over the last decade.

“I want to get into the homes, especially in Sacramento,” Mooshagian said. “That’s one of the funnest parts of my job.”

And with one final charismatic smile, Mooshagian seemed to breathe life into a program deflated over the last few seasons by failed attempts and embarrassing letdowns.