Let's Make a Deal: Four Coaches Boast Longest Defined Contracts Thru 2023
June 19th, 2012 - 11:24
Mike Brey has come a long way in college basketball since averaging 5 points per game with Northwestern State (Natchitoches, La.) in 1977-78 and 1978-79 when the NCAA Division I newcomer Demons compiled a 19-34 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 10-year deal with Notre Dame matched Butler's Brad Stevens for longest defined coaching contract (through 2021-22 season) until West Virginia's Bob Huggins, New Mexico's Steve Alford, Pittsburgh's Jamie Dixon and Virginia Commonwealth's Shaka Smart surpassed them by one year. The length of Brey's pact certainly can be justified if he directs the Irish to its first NCAA Tournament championship game after Stevens achieved the feat in back-to-back years with the Bulldogs in 2010 and 2011. Akron's Keith Dambrot, Louisville's Rick Pitino and Kansas' Bill Self matched Brey and Stevens before the start of the 2012-13 season.
A shaky economy is not deterring universities from dishing out long-term agreements. Following is an alphabetical list of coaches with at least five years remaining on their contracts: