Mississippi St's Mullen gets $4M-plus per year for 4 seasons

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi State has announced a contract extension for coach Dan Mullen that will pay him more than $4 million per season for the next four years.

The school announced the extension on Thursday night. The four-year contract, which runs through 2018, is the longest allowed by state law.

The school says Mullen will be paid $4 million in 2015 and the average yearly salary of the contract is $4,275,000. Mullen's previous deal paid about $3 million annually.

Mullen led the Bulldogs to a 10-3 record last season, including a five-week stay at No. 1 in the national rankings. He has a 46-31 overall record at Mississippi State over six seasons, including five trips to bowl games.

In the school's release, Mullen thanked the administration for providing "the tools and resources to be successful and develop Bulldog football into a national brand."

"Under Dan's guidance, Bulldog football has achieved a level of consistent success unparalleled in our history, during which time we've been ranked No. 1 in the nation and appeared in elite bowl games. We're proud Dan is our coach," Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin said in the release.