Colorado State Director of Athletics Joe Parker announced a one-year extension to the contract of head men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy. This guarantees that Eustachy will remain at the helm of the Rams through the 2019-20 season. Eustachy, who is closing in on 500 career wins, has set the school record for wins in two of his three full seasons in Fort Collins.
The overall contract could also keep Eustachy – now in his 25thseason as a head coach – on the floor at Moby Arena through the 2020-21 season, with an optional extension for one more season beyond this term.
“We are excited that Coach Eustachy will be with us through the 2019-20 season,” Parker said “He has grown the program and put it even more prominently on the national stage. He has also worked hard on the student-athlete success off the floor, showing that commitment to the entire well-being of his team. We look forward to continued success under Coach’s guidance.”
Eustachy was hired to take over the reins of the CSU basketball program on April 12, 2012. He has amassed an impressive 476-293 (.619) record in 769 games over 25 seasons as a head coach, including 74-35 record in his three-plus years in Fort Collins.
“As I have said on many occasions, this is where I want to finish my career,” Eustachy said. “We have had success here in the first several years, and we have outstanding support from our University, administration, athletic department and fans. I am extremely optimistic about the future of this program and excited about where we can go and what we can do.”
Eustachy’s current agreement has bonuses for team performance, including $40,000 for winning 20 games in a season, $100,000 for capturing the Mountain West Conference championship, and $200,000 if the Rams earn a bid to the NCAA tournament.
There are also bonuses and salary increases if Eustachy leads CSU to the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4, or wins the National Championship.
As with Eustachy’s initial contract at Colorado State, any bonus is contingent on the Rams maintaining good academic standing in the NCAA academic progress rating (APR), and having no major violations of NCAA rules.
In his first year at the helm, he led the Rams to arguably the best season in school history, guiding the squad to a then school-record 26 victories and an NCAA Tournament victory over the Missouri Tigers before bowing out against eventual national champion Louisville. Last season, the Rams posted a new school record with 27 regular season wins, advancing to the National Invitation Tournament.
Under Eustachy’s watch, Moby Arena has become recognized as one of the toughest places to play in the country, as CSU was 45-8 in his first three seasons, including a program-record 16-1 mark at home in 2012-13. That season, the Rams played in front of four sellout crowds and recorded the program’s best average attendance mark (5,440 per game) in 15 seasons, since the 1997-98 season drew 5,697 fans per contest.
http://www.csurams.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/120815aad.html
