Auriemma signs 5-year, $10.86 million extension to stay at UConn
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma isn't going anywhere after signing a five-year, $10.86 million contract, the school announced on Wednesday.
Auriemma's current contract was set to expire April 15, but the new deal will continue to keep him at the school where he has coached at since 1985.
Auriemma, 59, will have make just under $2 million next season, with an escalator clause that will raise to $2.4 million in the 2017-18 season, the final year of the new deal. He will be 64 years old and have been at the school for 33 years at that point.
''The last 28 years at Connecticut have been amazing and I am even more energized by what the future holds for our women's basketball program and our athletic department as a whole,'' Auriemma said in a statement.
There are also built-in performance incentives for conference or tournament titles, making the NCAA tournament, winning the regional semifinals, making the Final Four and, of course, winning yet another national championship.
Speaking of incentives, Auriemma's team plays Monday vs. Maryland in the Bridgeport Regional Semifinal of the NCAA Women's Tournament. The Lady Huskies are looking to make their 14th Final Four and to win their eighth national championship under Auriemma's leadership.
''Geno Auriemma has developed the University of Connecticut women's basketball team into one of the most beloved college athletic programs in the country in any sport,'' UConn President Susan Herbst said. ''I am very pleased that he has signed a new contract, which shows his strong commitment and belief to our university and its division of athletics.
"It is people like Geno who have helped make UConn a strong and vibrant university, one which will continue to grow and excel even more in the future.''
