According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, former Penn State coordinator Joe Moorhead will make $2.7 million per year over the course of a four-year deal to be head coach at Mississippi State.

The reported salary puts him in the bottom third for pay according to a database compiled by USA Today; Moorhead sits at right around the same mark that Vanderbilt's Derek Mason, the third lowest paid coach in the conference, is at.

Thamel did add this nugget, however, which helps explain things:

"Moorhead's focus in the deal was a big staff pool, more than his own bottom-line payment. His willingness to pay staff and take less appealed to MSU officials."

Thamel also reports that Moorhead's contract includes six-figure bonuses for reaching the conference title game.

An introductory news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. today after Moorhead and his family arrives in Starkville late Wednesday afternoon.

SOURCE: Joe Moorhead's deal at MSU is four years at an average of $2.7 million. Gets $100,000 for SEC title game appearance. 200K for SEC title. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2017

Moorhead's focus in the deal was a big staff pool, more than his own bottom-line payment. His willingness to pay staff and take less appealed to MSU officials. — Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) November 30, 2017

Penn State continues its search for a replacement.

Subscribe to our Penn State YouTube channel for exclusive PSU videos, including The Penn State Blitz, Kick-Off and Post-Game Show, Penn State Tailgate, Beyond the Field and more.