STARKVILLE — Sam Purcell’s extended contract as the Mississippi State women’s basketball coach also comes with a raise, according to his two contracts obtained by The Clarion Ledger.
Purcell will make $700,000 for the 2025-26 season with a $15,000 annual increase through March 31, 2030. He was previously making $662,500 annually.
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The buyout on Purcell’s contract was also changed. MSU would owe him $1 million if fired for convenience on or before March 31, 2026. That sum decreases by $250,000 annually on April 1. The buyout in his previous contract was 50% of his remaining salary.
The performance bonuses for Purcell are not changed.
The Bulldogs announced Purcell’s new contract on July 3. They said it was through the 2028-29 season, but his Bulldog Club contract actually has him under contract until March 31, 2030.
State employees are not allowed to sign contracts longer than four years in Mississippi, but universities frequently circumvent it with secondary contracts with athletic foundations. Purcell’s contract with the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) ends March 31, 2029, with the contract from the Bulldog Club, MSU’s athletic foundation, adding a fifth year.
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Mississippi State has made the NCAA tournament in two of Purcell’s three seasons, reaching the second round each time. His 67 victories are the most by any MSU women’s basketball coach through the first three seasons.
Purcell earned a performance bonus worth 10% of his annual salary last season with Mississippi State making the second round of the NCAA tournament.
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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: Mississippi State women’s basketball coach pay
