STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball coach Sam Purcell has signed a contract extension through the 2028-29 season, the school announced on July 3.
Purcell’s salary in the new deal was not released.
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Purcell, who’ll be entering his fourth season as the Bulldogs coach, has two contracts, like many other head coaches at Mississippi State. One of them is with the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) and the other with the Bulldog Club, the MSU athletics foundation that allows coaches to circumvent the four-year cap on contracts for state employees.
Purcell, 45, was previously under contract through 2028 at a $662,500 annual salary, according to those contracts reviewed by the Clarion Ledger.
Mississippi State has made two NCAA tournaments in three seasons under Purcell, who was previously an assistant coach at Louisville. His 67 victories are the most by any MSU women’s basketball coach through the first three seasons.
The Bulldogs went 22-11 in Purcell’s first season, reaching the NCAA tournament second round. They missed the tournament in 2023-24 with a 23-12 record, but returned to March Madness last season. MSU’s season ended in the second round against Southern Cal with a 22-12 record.
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Purcell earned a performance bonus worth 10% of his salary last season, according to his IHL contract.
“I would like to thank Dr. Mark Keenum (university president) and Director of Athletics Zac Selmon for their trust to build on the success we have had,” Purcell said in a released statement. “I’m extremely excited to work with Zac as he continues to take our athletic department to new heights. I am blessed to be surrounded by an amazing staff and to coach great young women who represent their families, our program, the University and the state of Mississippi with pride. Life is about people, and my family and I could not be more excited to continue to call Starkville home and play in front of the best fans in women’s basketball inside The Hump. Hail State!”
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Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Sam Purcell contract extended for Mississippi State women’s basketball
