Continuity in Coaching Staff Continues With Contract Extensions

Mississippi State has experienced no shortage of turnover in its football coaching staff over recent history, but the Bulldogs seem to have found a sense of continuity heading into their third season under head coach Mike Leach.

Leach recently agreed to a contract extension that ups his annual salary to $5.5 million and extends through the 2025 season, as Mississippi State confirmed earlier in the week. State law limits the length of contracts for state employees to a four-year maximum.

According to a report from 247Sports, defensive coordinator Zach Arnett also recently signed a contract extension -- a three-year deal that will pay him 1.2 million dollars in the first year and runs through the 2024 college football season. With this, Arnett receives a raise of $100,000 per year. 

Between Leach and Arnett, the Bulldogs -- who enter the 2022 season as a much older and more experienced team than when the staff initially arrived there in 2020 -- seem to be finding their footing on both sides of the ball in a way that could catch national attention.

Mississippi State faces what's largely considered to be the toughest schedule in the nation this fall after finishing out last season with a 7-6 overall record, opening with a matchup against the Memphis Tigers on Sept. 3 in Davis Wade Stadium.