Rumors of a new contract extension that had been circulating for over a month were put to bed on Thursday as Massachusetts men’s basketball coach Derek Kellogg signed a deal that will keep him in Amherst through the 2016-17 season.
The deal will pay Kellogg at least $665,000 annually, MassLive.com reported, but he could receive more than $800,000 a year with incentives.
UMass Athletic Director John McCutcheon said there is no better man for the job.
“In Derek we just have really the perfect fit for us,” McCutcheon told MassLive.com. “Not only the fact that he played here, but he’s from the area, he’s committed to getting this done the right way and making the commitment to the University. We felt we wanted to make a commitment to him to have a stable and long-term relationship.”
Kellogg received the extension in large part due to the Minutemen’s surprising success last season, when they went 25-12 and reached the National Invitation Tournament semifinals. And if the team has continued success, Kellogg could be looking at even more pay.
Starting this season, Kellogg will be paid $250,000 per year in base salary, plus $415,000 in “other compensation,” which includes speaking, media and broadcast appearances.
After that, Kellogg can also receive bonus pay for the team’s success on the court and in the classroom. Those incentives include, but are not limited to, a $75,000 bonus for an NCAA tournament berth, $25,000 if the team earns an RPI ranking of 60 or better, $20,000 if the team makes it back to the NIT and $20,000 for a graduation success rate of 80 percent or higher.
Kellogg would also owe $500,000 if he were to back out of the contract at any point, according to the MassLive.com report.
Reports initially circulated in early September that Kellogg was close to a new deal. But according to MassLive.com, the two sides needed to review the contract on legal terms and to process the final paperwork, which took some time.
Kellogg seems encouraged that the program is on the right path.
“It’s a good indication of where the program is not just on the court, but academically and socially,” Kellogg told MassLive.com. “It’s a combination of a lot of things, and it was important to the fan base to know that the program was secure in the next five years.”
Stephen Hewitt can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @steve_hewitt.
Joe Root • Oct 19, 2012 at 10:44 am
Congratulations to Derek. He played here for Coach Cal when I was a student and did a nice job for a spirited team that went much further than its talent. He was overmatched as a Division I point guard but worked hard and got the most our of his talent. For that I always admired him. It would’ve been nice if he was a little more humble in those days but hey I guess it’s to be expected of a teenager. Derek is clearly a Cal disciple, which is great in basketball terms, because Coach Cal is second to none as a college coach and tactician. However, I hope Derek is able to steer clear of some of the underhanded slipperiness that has defined Coach Cal’s career. Please, UMASS, don’t bring in talent at the total expense of integrity. UMASS tried it in the mid-90s and it bit them. Great high school prospects with no character and no discipline. The team faded into obscurity for almost 15 years until Derek has started to bring it back. If Derek keeps things on track and rebuilds the team to a national powerhouse, he can become a Western Mass icon for decades. Wishing the best of luck to him. Would be nice to see my alma mater on national tv again.