Heading into his second season as the head coach at Mississippi State, Joe Moorhead has received a contract extension that will keep him in Starkville through the 2022 season.
Moorhead led the Bulldogs to an 8-5 record in 2018, including a berth in the Outback Bowl. While MSU fell to Iowa, Moorhead became just the second coach in MSU history to lead the team to a bowl game in his first season.
In the university’s announcement, AD John Cohen said that under Moorhead’s leadership, he sees the program moving in the right direction.
“We are excited about the leadership of Mississippi State football under Coach Moorhead,” Cohen said. “He is a man of integrity, loyalty and humility. His love for his players and our program is evident. He is driven by elevating our program to a championship standard on and off the field. We look forward to watching the continued growth of our football program under his watch.”
For Moorhead, he’s ready to get back out on the field and build on his first season.
“It’s a privilege to be the head football coach at Mississippi State,” Moorhead said. “I want to thank John, President (Mark) Keenum and this wonderful University for believing in me. My family and I love Starkville. For me, it’s about building a championship program our Bulldog fans can be proud of and helping our players maximize their potential on and off the field, while walking away with a meaningful degree from Mississippi State University. Our team is excited about the season ahead, and I look forward to continuing to elevate our program in everything we do.”
In year two, the former Fordham head coach and Penn State OC is tasked with replacing QB Nick Fitzgerald and several key members of 2018’s dominant defense, including first-round picks Jeffrey Simmons, Montez Sweat and Johnathan Abram.
Last week, Moorhead and the Bulldogs landed grad-transfer QB Tommy Stevens from Penn State, who’ll compete with junior Keytaon Thompson, freshman (RS) Jalen Mayden, and true freshman Garrett Shrader for the starting job.
