Before Auburn tabbed Mississippi State’s John Cohen as its next athletics director, the university reportedly made an offer to another sitting SEC athletics director for the position.

According to Arkansas Business, Auburn attempted to lure Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek to the Plains with an offer worth $2 million annually to become the Tigers’ next AD. Despite those efforts, Arkansas appears set to keep Yurachek with a lucrative new deal to remain in Fayetteville, Ark.

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University of Arkansas system spokesman Nate Hinkel, according to the report, could not confirm the details of any offer made to Yurachek but said in an email to Arkansas Business that, “I am confirming that an offer was made and that as a result, recent negotiation have taken place to retain Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek.”

Yurachek is set to receive a new deal that will go into effect Jan. 1, which will raise his salary from $1.25 million to $1.5 million at Arkansas. That figure matches the salary that Auburn will reportedly pay Cohen as its new AD. Sports Illustrated reported late Monday morning that Cohen will receive a five-year contract worth $1.5 million to take over on the Plains. Those figures are significantly higher than what Auburn was paying former athletics director Allen Greene. During his tenure on the Plains, which ended short of five years, Greene made $625,000 annually.

Cohen resigned from his post at Mississippi State earlier Monday, informing Mississippi State president Mark Keenum of his decision, effective immediately.

“We thank John and Nelle for their long and dedicated service to MSU,” Keenum said in a statement. “In many ways, MSU is a victim of our own success in that several former MSU athletics directors have transitioned into similar roles at peer institutions in the Southeastern Conference. That fact speaks to the growing culture of success among our student-athletes and the commitment of our university, our alumni and friends and our fans to competing at the highest levels of collegiate athletics and doing so in the right way. Together as the Bulldog family, we will move purposefully to find a new leader who can both embrace and build on that culture of success.”

Auburn has yet to officially announce Cohen as athletics director. A source confirmed to AL.com on Saturday that the university was working to finalize a deal to bring Cohen to the Plains and end a two-month search for the Tigers’ next AD.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.