One name that's been frequently mentioned for the Mississippi State baseball job is Georgia head coach Wes Johnson. MSU's pitching coach for the 2016 SEC Championship team, Johnson had a lengthy and successful career as an assistant with stops at Arkansas, LSU, and the Minnesota Twins.
He became the head coach at Georgia last season, and in his first year, his Bulldogs won 43 games and reached a Super Regional. This year his squad is ranked in the Top 10 and is poised to earn a national seed in the postseason. It's easy to see why State would be interested.
On Wednesday, Johnson was asked directly about his candidacy in Starkville, and he seemingly shut down those rumors...or did he?
Georgia's Wes Johnson says he has "no plans to venture to Starkville"
Any major coaching search inevitably results in sitting head coaches awkwardly answering questions about whether or not they're bolting for a new job once the season ends. There's rarely a correct way to answer that question, and what we typically see is a coach go on about how much he loves his current job while never actually saying "I am staying here."
When asked about the Mississippi State job, Wes Johnson stated, "I love Georgia. I have no plans to venture to Starkville. I'll just say that."
On the surface, it sounds like Johnson is saying he'll be staying in Athens and isn't interested in the State job. But is that what he literally said? Johnson's exact phrasing is that he has "no plans" to leave for Starkville. Well, here's the thing about plans - they can change.
Saying he plans to remain at UGA technically gives Johnson an out. If he ultimately left for MSU and was asked about this response, he could simply say his plans changed. That's something MSU fans should know all too well. A certain football coach once said he planned to remain at State just three days before leaving town.
And let's not forget, just last year we saw then-Texas A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle rip into a reporter for asking him about the Texas job only to be named the next coach of the Longhorns a day later. Whether it be a general statement or a big display, expressing apparent commitment to their current program means nothing when it comes to coaching searches.
That's not to say Wes Johnson is headed to Mississippi State, but his specific phrasing about staying in Athens certainly doesn't put an end to the talk of his ties to the job.
Now with that being said, Johnson probably won't be easy to pull from Athens even if does enter into discussions with MSU. Georgia has long been considered a sleeping giant in baseball given its recruiting base. They just renovated the stadium, and there's plenty of money to invest into the program. That includes being able to increase Johnson's $1 million per year salary after this year.
State is absolutely the better baseball job, but the right coach can win big in Athens. Plus, Johnson is just in his second year there, and while he had no issue moving around as an assitant, it may be different for him as a head coach.
Still, he's an outstanding coach, and Mississippi State is prepared to take some big swings in this coaching search. If there's a real possibility to hire Wes Johnson, they'd be smart to make that move.