Following Vic Schaefer’s decision to depart Mississippi State for Texas, it didn’t take the Bulldogs long to land the next leader of the school’s women’s basketball as Old Dominion coach Nikki McCray-Penson was hired by AD John Cohen.

A graduate of Tennessee, McCray-Penson also experience coaching in the SEC as he served as an assistant at South Carolina prior to her three years as Old Dominion’s head coach.

Now we know exactly how much it cost Mississippi State to get McCray-Penson away from Old Dominion as she has been given a four-year contract worth $750,000 annually to coach the Bulldogs, the school announced on Tuesday.

Here is the statement Mississippi State AD John Cohen released following McCray-Penson’s hire.

“Nikki brings energy, creativity, and a winning mentality to Mississippi State that will inspire our student-athletes and community,” Cohen said. “She has earned a national reputation as an outstanding teacher of the game, dynamic recruiter and a developer of young women on and off the court. Nikki has achieved success at every step of her career, both as a coach and player. She is a proven winner who will lead one of the best women’s basketball programs in the nation. We are excited to welcome Nikki and her family to Starkville and are thrilled that she will lead us into the next chapter of Mississippi State women’s basketball.”

McCray-Penson offered the following comment upon her hire at Mississippi State.

“It’s been a dream of mine to be a head coach in the SEC, and I’m so grateful and blessed for this incredible honor and opportunity to lead Mississippi State women’s basketball,” McCray-Penson said. “This is a national brand with incredible people, a storied tradition and an outstanding community that is second to none. I am confident that my experiences as a coach and player have prepared me for this, and I will pour everything I have into our student-athletes and program. My family and I are so happy to be a part of the Bulldog Family and we can’t wait to get started.”