SEC Coach Of The Year Julie Darty Dennis Signs Contract Extension
January 24, 2022 | Volleyball, Joel Coleman
Dennis led the Bulldogs to their best-ever season in 2021.
STARKVILLE – On the heels of leading Mississippi State volleyball to its best season in program history, head coach Julie Darty Dennis has signed a contract extension.
The reigning Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year has been extended through the 2025 season.
"I'm super excited and grateful that [MSU Director of Athletics] John Cohen and the administration have confidence in me, and they want me to stick around and keep building something special here with our program," Dennis said. "I think the historical run that we made this season was certainly a sign that things are moving in the right direction. Now, this is the fun part. We really get to see if we can sustain this thing and compete at the level that we know we're capable of."
The Bulldogs have risen in the SEC standings each season since Dennis' first at MSU in 2018. Then, this past year, State took a massive leap forward.
The Bulldogs finished 2021 with a 25-6 overall record, including a 16-2 mark in league play. They closed the regular season on a 13-match winning streak, finishing second in the SEC. State earned the school's first-ever national ranking and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"Julie has already taken Mississippi State volleyball to new heights, leading us to the NCAA Tournament last season," Cohen said. "She has raised the bar for our program, and we're thrilled for our future under Julie's continued guidance."
Along with Dennis' contract extension, her assistant coaches were rewarded as well. Depending on potential offseason movement around the conference, Mississippi State's total salary pool for its coaches is set to put the Bulldogs among the Top 5 highest paid staffs in the SEC.
"I think it's the people I have on staff that make this thing go," Dennis said. "Especially for our team, I think the sustainability and continuity of having assistant coaches for more than a year or two, it really helps with the trust and the development and those relationships. I have to make sure I can keep these people around and keep this thing going."
And it's keeping it all going that now becomes the focus for Dennis and her staff. They're moving ahead with the goal of making 2021's tremendous success just the beginning.
The Bulldogs are currently in their spring period, where players are in smaller groups receiving more individualized instruction.
"I told [the players], 'This is not about scouting. It's not about game preparation. It's about making you the best person and player that you can be,'" Dennis said. "There's a lot of individuals and small groups and position-specific breakouts where we're really trying to fix technical things and techniques we didn't have time to address in the fall. I just really like to pour into the development side with these players. It's always team-first and it's always about what's best for the team, but right now it's about what's best for each player and addressing what their needs are and fitting the training to get the most out of them and get them the experience they want here."
Fans can get their first glimpse at Dennis' 2022 squad in just a few months. The Bulldogs are slated for a pair of home exhibitions at the Newell-Grissom Building that'll both be open to the public.
On Sunday, April 10, Mississippi State is scheduled to host West Florida. Then on the Friday of Super Bulldog Weekend, April 15, MSU will host Southern Miss. Times will be announced later.
