STARKVILLE — Mississippi State football coach Dan Mullen confirmed Wednesday he is working on a contract extension with MSU.
Mullen didn’t offer any further details, and MSU director of athletics John Cohen couldn’t be reached for a comment.
Mullen, who has spent the last eight years at MSU and has led the program to a school record seven-straight bowl games, didn’t receive a contract extension after MSU defeated North Carolina State 51-28 victory in the Belk Bowl to finish 9-4 in 2016.
Mullen had received an extension in every previous offseason. After leading MSU to nine-straight wins to begin the season and a No. 1 ranking for five-straight weeks during the 2014 season, Mullen received a contract extension through 2018 that paid him an average of $4.275 million per year.
Oregon announced the hiring of South Florida coach Willie Taggart as its coach Wednesday. ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reported Mullen was one of two finalists for the job, but Mullen offered no comment.
After LSU fired Les Miles earlier this season, Mullen became the second-longest tenured coach in the Southeastern Conference at eight seasons. Alabama coach Nick Saban is the longest-tenured coach at 10 seasons.
Mullen is 60-42 with four bowl victories. The Bulldogs have never finished last in the SEC Western Division in his tenure.
MSU (5-7) will play Miami University (6-6) at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 26 (ESPN), in the St. Petersburg Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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