MSU baseball coach Chris Lemonis’ signs $1.25 million contract extension

VICKSBURG, Miss. (Vicksburg Daily News)–After winning Coach of the Year and leading the Dawgs to a national championship this season, Mississippi State University head baseball coach has signed a long-term contract extension, MSU announced on Tuesday.

Chris Lemonis will now make a base salary of $1,250,000 with an annual increase of $25,000 each year.

“Never a day passes that I am not honored to be the head baseball coach at Mississippi State,” Lemonis said. “I want to thank Dr. Mark Keenum, John Cohen and our administration for their belief in me, and I am looking forward to many more years in maroon and white. We are proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we are excited about the future as we strive for more championships.”

In his first season, Lemonis became the most successful first-year head coach in SEC history by leading his program to 52 victories.  He is also the fastest head coach in MSU history to reach 100 wins, doing so in just 130 games. Under his guidance, the Bulldogs brought home the program’s first-ever national title in the 2021 College World Series with a 9-0 victory over the defending champs, Vanderbilt.

Lemonis holds his club to a high standard off the field as well.  MSU reports that the Bulldogs have achieved a 3.0 GPA or better each semester since Lemonis came to the helm.