MSU Working On A New Deal For Mullen

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Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin says he is working on a new four-year deal to keep Dan Mullen in Starkville.  Stricklin told The SDN Bulldog Blog that State will be “smart and aggressive” in its efforts to hang on to its coach.

“The normal protocol for something like this and the way we’ve done it in the past is to rip up the old contract and sign a brand new four-year deal.”

State law in Mississippi limits contracts with state employees to four years at the maximum.  Stricklin also said that he “anticipated a raise in Mullen’s annual salary.”

Mullen will make a nice chunk of change for his 2010 work already. 

“He’s going to have fairly significant bonuses this year,” Stricklin told The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.  “Which is good; I like that.  I think it’s healthy to have good incentives built into your contract.”

State will not reveal what Mullen’s bonuses are because they say that money comes from private money.  (Something to keep in mind whenever you/we look at the Department of Education’s financial numbers.)

Stricklin doesn’t believe Mullen will stay or leave based upon cash.  “I’m not someone who thinks that finances are ever going to be a part of a decision on whether a coach stays or not.  I think we’ve got a lot to offer as a university, and we’ve got access to talent — we’re in the best league in the country.  We have great facilities, we’re in the process of making them better.  We’ve got great support for our coaches and student-athletes.”

“I don’t know if there’s ever been a coach leave Mississippi State because they weren’t being paid enough, and I doubt there ever will be.”