A change is on the horizon in the Mississippi State athletic department. This week it was reported that the university would only give MSU athletic director Larry Templeton a one-year extension on his contract, extending it through June 2008. The university will begin a search for his successor beginning July 1.
A proposal from the university was presented to the state College Board in Jackson Wednesday, where the matter was voted on without major discussion.
MSU President Robert “Doc” Foglesong proposed the idea and submitted it to the board last last week.
“I’ve asked Larry to stay on at MSU until 2008, providing continuity in our Division I programs,” Foglesong said. “Larry Templeton has committed himself to Mississippi State for most of his adult life, and we all owe him thanks for what he’s done.”
Now that a decision has been made, the search for a new athletic director will be in the hands of the MSU president.
A committee will be formed which will include a balanced search committee involving all Mississippi State stakeholders, Foglesong said.
Templeton, who has served as State’s athletic director for 20 years, is an MSU graduate and has spent the majority of his life in the State athletic department.
He began working for the university in 1969 as an assistant in the sports information department.
“The president and I have agreed that I will serve through the 2007-08 budget year,” Templeton told The Clarion-Ledger. “I have always been committed to this great university, and I will continue to give my very best to my alma mater.”
Throughout his 20-year tenure, Templeton has captained the MSU ship through some of its most historic successes.
The baseball team appeared in three College World Series tournaments, the men’s basketball team competed in the 1996 Final Four.
He is also responsible for hiring current head football coach Sylvester Croom, the first black head coach in the Southeastern Conference.