Mississippi State extends coach Lemonis after CWS title

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State says head baseball coach Chris Lemonis has signed a long-term contract extension, less than a month after guiding the Bulldogs to their first College World Series national championship.

A release Tuesday says Lemonis will earn a base salary of $1.25 million next year, followed by annual increases of $25,000. The contract's length was not specified.

Lemonis is 255-128-2 in seven seasons as a head coach, including 114-37 in three years at MSU. That included a 50-18 mark this spring, capped by the Bulldogs’ first national title in any team sport in their third consecutive CWS appearance. The American Baseball Coaches Association also named Lemonis as NCAA Division I national coach of the year.

The coach thanked school officials for their belief in him and added, “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.”

Lemonis is the first NCAA Division I coach to reach the CWS in his first two full seasons in the super regional era. The CWS was not held in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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