Mississippi State Inexplicably Inks Dan Mullen To Big Extension

Dan Mullen and Mississippi State have agreed to a four-year contract extension in which he will make $4.5 million per season. I get that Mississippi State has long been a perennial bottom feeder in the SEC and Mullen might be the best coach in school history, but giving him an $18 million extension is the height of lunacy.

Mullen is coming off a 6-7 season during which the Bulldogs finished tied for fifth-place in the SEC West at 3-5. He took the team to a 10-3 record and an Orange Bowl berth in 2014 and a 9-4 record in 2015, but his teams have finished the season in the top 25 just twice. His record during his eight seasons in Starkville is 61-42 and 29-35 in the SEC. That’s not a guy who should be getting $4.5 million a year.

I’m not saying MSU should have fired Mullen, but there was no reason to extend him right now. He has more bowl wins (five) and bowl appearances (seven in a row) than any coach in school history but, again, there was no urgency to give him a big extension. It’s not like he’s dominating the SEC West and is a hot property for other schools.