STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball coach John Cohen, who led the Bulldogs to within one game of the College World Series and a No. 15 national ranking, has received a contract extension through the 2015 season, Director of Athletics Scott Stricklin announced Thursday.
“John and his staff have done a tremendous job of leading our baseball program back to national prominence by recruiting top talent and instilling toughness,” Stricklin said. “I look forward to John being our head coach for many years to come.”
Cohen”s new four-year contract includes an increase in base salary from $250,000 to $262,500. He will continue to receive a salary supplement from the Bulldog Foundation.
“It”s a privilege to work at Mississippi State University under the leadership of Dr. Mark Keenum and Scott Stricklin,” Cohen said. “I”m so appreciative of the support of the Bulldog Nation. This is a great time to be part of the Mississippi State family.”
In his third season as MSU”s baseball coach, Cohen directed MSU to a four-year best 38-25 record in 2011. MSU returned to postseason play for the first time since 2007, sweeping its way to the championship of the NCAA Atlanta Regional and, with an impressive showing in the Gainesville Super Regional, coming within a win of the program”s ninth trip to the NCAA College World Series.
The Bulldogs, picked in a preseason SEC coaches” poll for a sixth-place finish in the Southeastern Conference”s Western Division, recorded the program”s biggest single-season turnaround in conference play. MSU finished 2011 a game out of first place in the SEC West and posted a 14-16 league record, a school-best eight-win improvement from 2010.
MSU also garnered its first season-ending national ranking since 2007 this week with a No. 15 placement in the final USA TODAY/ ESPN poll of coaches and the Collegiate Baseball poll.
In addition, 14 baseball players named to SEC Academic Honor Roll. In all, MSU placed 69 student-athletes on the academic all-conference listing, which represents the school”s eight men”s and women”s spring sports.
Junior outfielder Brent Brownlee earned his third academic all-conference designation. Seniors Cody Freeman, Trey Johnson, and catcher Wes Thigpen closed their collegiate careers earning Academic All-SEC accolades for the second time each.
Ben Bracewell, Sam Frost, Chad Girodo, Kendall Graveman, Luis Pollorena, Caleb Reed, Nick Routt, Tim Statz, Chris Stratton, and C.C. Watson also were recognized.
Among qualifications for the SEC Academic Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have compiled a grade-point average of at least 3.0 for the preceding academic year or have a cumulative career GPA of 3.0 or better.
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