Let's Make a Deal: Coveted Coaches Secure Security Into Next Decade
May 14th, 2015 - 19:18
Mike Brey has come a long way in college basketball since commencing his playing career by averaging 5 points per game with Northwestern State (Natchitoches, La.) in 1977-78 and 1978-79 when the then NCAA Division I newcomer Demons compiled a 19-34 two-season record while losing to Louisiana College three times and East Texas Baptist once.
It might not duplicate the lifetime contract of Brey's former mentor, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, but his deal with Notre Dame through 2021-22 is among the longest defined coaching contracts. Louisville's Rick Pitino (through 2025-26) and Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson (through 2024-25) have the longest defined pacts. Kentucky's John Calipari certainly will be earning more money than Brey in 2021-22 (reported $8 million).
The length of Brey's deal certainly can be justified if he directs the Irish to its first NCAA Tournament championship game, but he first needs to assemble a winning career playoff mark and guide the Irish to a Final Four. Neither a shaky economy nor scholastic shenanigans similar to North Carolina are deterring universities from dishing out long-term agreements as the following alphabetical list of coaches boast contracts extending at least five additional seasons into the next decade:
Coach School Length of Contract Steve Alford UCLA through 2020-21 Mike Anderson Arkansas through 2019-20 Rick Barnes Tennessee through 2020-21 Randy Bennett Saint Mary's through 2020-21 Tony Bennett Virginia through 2020-21 Mike Brey Notre Dame through 2021-22 Brad Brownell Clemson through 2019-20 John Calipari Kentucky through 2021-22 Chris Collins Northwestern through 2019-20 Tom Crean Indiana through 2019-20 Mick Cronin Cincinnati through 2020-21 Keith Dambrot Akron through 2022-23 Jamie Dixon Pittsburgh through 2022-23 Bryce Drew Valparaiso through 2022-23 Mark Fox Georgia through 2019-20 Jerod Haase UAB through 2020-21 Frank Haith Tulsa through 2020-21 Chris Holtmann Butler through 2020-21 Michael Huger Bowling Green through 2020-21 Bob Huggins West Virginia through 2022-23 Ron Hunter Georgia State through 2019-20 Danny Hurley Rhode Island through 2020-21 Tom Izzo Michigan State through 2020-21 Ben Jacobson Northern Iowa through 2024-25 Larry Krystkowiak Utah through 2022-23 Jim Larranaga Miami (FL) through 2021-22 Mike Lonergan George Washington through 2020-21 Chris Mack Xavier through 2020-21 Gregg Marshall Wichita State through 2021-22 Greg McDermott Creighton through 2019-20 Tim Miles Nebraska through 2019-20 Archie Miller Dayton through 2021-22 Chris Mooney Richmond through 2020-21 LeVelle Moton North Carolina Central through 2021-22 Craig Neal New Mexico through 2019-20 Tim O'Shea Bryant through 2019-20 Rick Pitino Louisville through 2025-26 Lorenzo Romar Washington through 2019-20 Dave Rose Brigham Young through 2019-20 Bill Self Kansas through 2021-22 Shaka Smart Texas through 2021-22 Michael White Florida through 2020-21 Roy Williams North Carolina through 2019-20 Marty Wilson Pepperdine through 2020-21