Mississippi State announces hiring of new women’s basketball coach Sam Purcell

Mississippi State has a new women’s head basketball coach. MSU has hired Louisville assistant Sam Purcell to be the programs’ ninth head coach.

“During our search, Sam Purcell routinely emerged as one of the nation’s elite recruiters and more importantly, a terrific fit to lead our program,” Mississippi State athletic director John Cohen said in a school release. “Sam has been an integral part of some of the most successful teams in women’s basketball. He is creative, meticulous, and has shown a proven ability to recruit the nation’s top talent and develop student-athletes. Sam is synonymous with the Mississippi State culture and understands the deep meaning of family. We are confident that Sam will elevate every facet of our program. We are pleased to welcome him, his wife Meghan, and his three daughters Reese, Rylee and Reagan to the Mississippi State family.”

Purcell joined the Louisville staff as an assistant coach in 2013. He was promoted to associate coach in 2017. A class of 2003 Auburn graduate, Purcell got his start as a student assistant with the Tigers in 2000. After graduation, he was Auburn’s video coordinator and administrative assistant until 2005 when he joined Tulsa as an assistant coach. Purcell was on staff at Georgia Tech from 2007-to-2013.

Louisville is a projected No. 1 seed. Purcell will remain with the Cardinals through the 2022 postseason, according to MSU’s announcement.

“I’m honored and humbled to be the head women’s basketball coach at Mississippi State University, and I am appreciative to John Cohen and the entire university administration for this opportunity,” Purcell said via MSU. “The Purcell family is thrilled to be coming to Starkville, and we can’t wait to meet the team and the entire Bulldog Family. Mississippi State women’s basketball is synonymous with winning, and I fully intend to continue that winning culture. Hail State!”

Bags are packed, next stop StarkVegas 👏#HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/ec4NuzcCr7

— Mississippi State WBK (@HailStateWBK) March 12, 2022

In October, Nikki McCray-Penson stepped down to focus on her health. Doug Novak, who was associate head coach under McCray-Penson, was the interim head coach for the 2021-22 season. MSU went 15-14 overall and 6-10 in SEC play.

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.