Mississippi State AD set up to make a home run baseball hire

It’s a good time to be a Mississippi State fan, isn’t it?

Both men and women basketball teams made it into their NCAA Tournaments. The softball team is headed to its second consecutive NCAA Tournament this weekend. Both men and women golf teams will play in the NCAA Championship Tournaments. Track and field teams are headed to the SEC Outdoor Championships with a chance to medal in several events. And the baseball team is on track to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, even after firing its head coach.

Frankly, if you ignore the two-win football season, it’s been a great school year for Mississippi State. But recent developments have made this year even better.

To start, Mississippi State announced last week that “Howard Industries, a leading manufacturer of electrical and technology products, has provided the lead naming gift” for a new football indoor practice facility that is expected to open in 2028.

Secondly, based on a report from 247Sports, Director of Athletics Zac Selmon will be around to see its unveiling. That reporting states Selmon has “come to terms on a new contract extension that runs through 2029.”

The final development was announced Wednesday with a $1 million gift “from a dedicated family in Jackson, Mississippi” towards the new indoor practice facility (that will reportedly cost $60 million).

Part of Selmon’s job as Director of Athletics (and pretty much every other one in the nation) is fundraising. In fact, it’s one of the biggest parts of the job and Selmon, apparently, is doing a good job of it.

So even on the heels of a two-win season, the future looks good for Mississippi State’s football program. Combine that with the success of Mississippi State’s other sports teams (and don’t forget about the soccer team’s run to Sweet 16 last fall), the Bulldogs’ athletic department is in good shape.

It has the potential to be in an even better shape, though. Selmon has shown an ability to fundraise, but now we get to see if he can recruit. Or, to put it another way, we’ll see if he can lure a big name baseball coach to Starkville.

It should be an attractive pitch for Selmon to make. Mississippi State’s baseball program is widely considered one of the best in the nation. Dudy Noble Field consistently ranks as one of the best college baseball environments and just saw more than 330,000 people attend a game this season. The facilities are top-notch, and the money is there to bring in a big name coach.

Throw in the fundraising ability Selmon has shown with a football program that hasn’t won an SEC championship since 1941 and you have to think there are some coaches looking at the vacant baseball coach position with a hint of desire.

Can Selmon deliver? The university believes he can, but everyone else is waiting. That wait will most likely continue until the calendar turns to June and the new coach’s previous team is eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.

But until then, it’s a good time to be a Mississippi State sports fan.

DAWG FEED: