STARKVILLE — Mike Leach’s list of what he wants in an athletic director is fairly simple.
Leach said Monday he wants someone who can “keep all the plates in the air” to eliminate distractions. Someone who has common sense and “enough money to keep everything going. Someone willing to leave their head football coach alone when necessary.
Who will be that someone at Mississippi State?
For Leach, it was John Cohen — until Monday, when Cohen left MSU for Auburn, leaving the Bulldogs in search of a full-time replacement.
At his weekly press conference Monday, Leach touted the perks of Cohen’s former job in Starkville.
“I think it’s a great job because this is a great place to live, and then also the people you work with are great, too,” Leach said. “It’s not perfect — I would definitely purge a couple but not very many. Less here than most places. That immediately sticks it above other places. I think it’s a fantastic place. I think it’s a very down-to-earth place.
“They’re trying to solve the problem, which I think is the correct approach. The biggest thing is you want a guy who really wants to be here and really wants to do it.”
Here are six candidates to be Mississippi State’s next athletic director.
Wake Forest athletic director John Currie
During his time as the athletic director at Tennessee, John Currie in fact came close to hiring Leach.
Currie flew to Los Angeles to meet with Leach in late November 2017, just before being suspended by Tennessee administration and ultimately removed in a “coup” by former coach Phillip Fulmer, who replaced Currie.
Currie, 51, has landed on his feet, being named athletic director of the year in 2021 for his work at Wake Forest. He is in his fourth season leading the Demon Deacons.
Currie spent 2009 to 2017 as the athletic director at Kansas State.
San Diego State athletic director John David Wicker
John David Wicker was hired as San Diego State’s athletic director on Oct. 24, 2016.
He oversaw the construction of the Aztecs’ Snapdragon Stadium as well as leading SDSU to 20 Mountain West titles, including four in men’s basketball. San Diego State compiled a 12-2 football season last year.
Wicker has Mississippi State ties, graduating from MSU in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in professional accountancy.
Georgia Southern athletic director Jared Benko
Jared Benko served as Mississippi State’s deputy AD and chief financial officer until March 2020, when he left to become the athletic director at Georgia Southern.
Benko handled scheduling, supervised coaches and was in charge of strategic planning at MSU. He was part of the three-man committee that ultimately hired Leach in January 2020.
Benko is just 38 but has prodigious experience within the Southeastern Conference, including at Georgia, Arkansas and Auburn.
Mississippi State deputy athletic director/chief financial officer Eric George
Eric George replaced Benko at Mississippi State in April 2020.
George spent the previous 4 1/2 years as the associate athletic director and CFO at Clemson.
At MSU, George is the sport administrator for the football program.
He played football at Texas A&M in 2005 and 2006, worked at Texas and earned a CPA license during his time in the Lone Star State.
Eastern Michigan vice athletic director Scott Wetherbee
Scott Wetherbee, 47, would be a familiar presence in Starkville.
After Scott Stricklin departed for Florida on Oct. 25, 2016, Wetherbee served as Mississippi State’s interim athletic director until Cohen’s hiring Nov. 4.
He was Mississippi State’s senior associate athletic director for external affairs.
Wetherbee was named Eastern Michigan’s AD on June 26, 2017.
Former Utah State athletic director John Hartwell
Hartwell resigned his job at Utah State on Monday night in order “to move his family back to the South,” according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The Mobile, Alabama, native was reportedly in contention for the Auburn job before Cohen accepted it.
Hartwell, 57, spent 2003-2012 at Ole Miss, starting out as the associate athletics director for finance. He left to become the athletic director at Troy, and in 2015, he was named Utah State’s AD.
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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