STARKVILLE — Ben Howland got a good sense about Scott Stricklin as he interviewed for an opening at Mississippi State.
After spending two seasons away from college basketball, he was ready to get back in to the game. He met with Stricklin, MSU’s director of athletics, in March of 2015 to interview for the opening. Stricklin had just let Rick Ray go after three seasons.
Howland was immediately sold on MSU, and Stricklin hired him as the new MSU men’s basketball coach.
“I just thought he was really down to earth, I thought he was incredibly honest and he gave me the sense of being an incredibly supportive person for each of the coaches and sports at Mississippi State,” Howland said Tuesday. “He also really fostered a family atmosphere at Mississippi State. Really, it’s a family-type atmosphere.”
Howland, who coached at the University of California-Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Northern Arizona, felt at home when he talked to Stricklin. Now, he will have to do without Stricklin.
Stricklin was officially introduced Tuesday as the University of Florida’s new director of athletics in Gainesville, Florida. Stricklin, who will take over for Jeremy Foley, signed a six-year contract with a $500,000 base salary with bonuses that push his pay to $1.076 million annually. He earned a one-time signing bonus of $150,000.
Foley announced his retirement in June. He was supposed to step away Oct. 1, but an announcement was made Tuesday that he will stay on until Nov. 1, when Stricklin said he will more than likely start his duties.
Becoming a Gator
Stricklin, a 1992 graduate of MSU, took charge of MSU athletics in 2010 for Greg Byrne, who took the same job at Arizona. Stricklin said Florida approached him in June.
A Jackson native and son-in-law of MSU basketball great Bailey Howell, Stricklin said the decision wasn’t easy.
“I get calls from time to time — I’m fortunate every now and then, these last few years — from these search firm guys. Calling, asking if I’d have any interest in a certain job and I had never pursued any of those,” said Stricklin at his introductory press conference in Gainesville. “I finally told one here recently there may be two or three jobs in the country I might be interested in leaving Mississippi State for, and those jobs may never call and that’s OK because I’ve got a good deal. Then this job came open. Going through this process, it became obvious to me that there is really only one job I’d leave Mississippi State for and that is to be a Florida Gator.”
In a press release, MSU President Mark Keenum said a nationwide search is underway to find Stricklin’s replacement and he will move swiftly “to find an individual with the vision and leadership to meet high expectations for success at Mississippi State.” An executive search firm has been engaged to assist in the effort, the release said.
“Over the past six years, Scott raised the profile of MSU athletics, improved facilities across the board and provided the resources for our student athletes to compete for championships,” Keenum said in the release.
Stricklin worked as the MSU baseball media contact as a student. Upon graduation, he was hired as assistant media relations director.
Before returning to MSU, Stricklin made four stops around the country. He worked as an associate media relations director at Auburn (1993-98), assistant athletic director of media relations at Tulane (1998), assistant athletic director of communications and marketing at Baylor (1999-2003) and associate athletic director of media relations at Kentucky (2003-07).
Stricklin, who oversaw several facility renovations and builds, received the 2015-16 Under Armour Athletics Director of the Year Award by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Mullen: ‘It’s a loss’
MSU football coach Dan Mullen was hired by Byrne in 2008, but transitioned to Stricklin shortly after.
“Scott’s done a great job in helping,” Mullen said. “We’ve won more games than Florida has the last six years, so they probably wanted him. He’s been always great with me, very professional, great to work with, and it’s a loss because Scott and I had a great professional relationship.”
From 2010-15, MSU compiled a 50-28 record in football, while Florida went 47-30.
MSU women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer, who took over for the retired Sharon Fanning-Otis, was Stricklin’s first major hire in 2012. Schaefer, who at the time was associate women’s basketball coach at Texas A&M, told Stricklin he wouldn’t come to visit the MSU campus without his wife, Holly. He said Stricklin and his wife, Anne, picked Holly up on a plane and helped sell Starkville, MSU and the community.
“He is the best. He is the reason I came to Mississippi State,” Schaefer said. “Selfishly, I hate to lose him because he has been so good to me and to our program. He lived up to everything he said he would do for us, and at the same time I think we did to him.
“From a personal standpoint, from a friendship standpoint, I am happy for him if that is what he wants to do,” he added. “It is a bittersweet day for me. I understand it and I support him in it because I do think so much of him as a friend.”
Sports editor Adam Minichino contributed to this story
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.