STARKVILLE — The future of Mississippi State basketball is now secured
A day after men’s basketball coach Chris Jans received a contract extension, MSU gave women’s basketball coach Sam Purcell one, too, first reported by 247sports and confirmed by the school.
Purcell’s new contract runs through 2026-27. The extension comes with a pay raise, earning Purcell $662,500 next season, a raise from the $550,000 he made in his first year, as well as performance-based incentives, according to reports.
“My family and I have fallen in love with Starkville, and I am so honored to be your Head Women’s Basketball Coach,” Purcell said via released statement. “…I took this job because women’s basketball matters in Starkville, and I take the pride you have in our program seriously. We are building something special here at Mississippi State, and my family and I are so proud to call Mississippi State home.”
Purcell’s extension comes on the heels of MSU returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, doing so in Purcell’s first season at the helm.
Purcell, a former Louisville assistant, took over for Nikki McCray-Penson, who is now an assistant coach at Rutgers.
MSU advanced to the second round of this year’s NCAA Tournament, becoming the first program to win a game after advancing out of the First Four, when it upset No. 6 seed Creighton as an 11-seed in South Bend. The Bulldogs fell to No. 3 seed Notre Dame in the next round.
Expectations have risen for Purcell’s second year after bringing two top-20 transfer portal additions in guards Lauren Park-Lane, previously of Seton Hall, and Darrione Rogers, a former Depaul guard who committed to MSU earlier Thursday afternoon. The Bulldogs are also bringing in a top-20 recruiting class, headlined by four-star guard Mjarcle Sheppard.
Justin Frommer is the Mississippi State sports reporter for The Dispatch.
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