Oxford, MS – University of Mississippi athletics director Ross Bjork announced Friday that the school has agreed to a contract extension with men's head basketball coach Andy Kennedy.
The four-year deal, which will keep Kennedy at Ole Miss through 2017, is the longest allowed by the state of Mississippi and includes a base salary of $1.8 million, along with incentives for regular season and NCAA postseason success.
"We are excited to make this continued investment in men's basketball at the University of Mississippi and extend Coach Kennedy's contract," Bjork said. "The excitement and buzz created during our SEC Championship and NCAA Tournament run provides us with the momentum to continue to grow basketball here at Ole Miss. I also want to thank Rebel Nation for your support in reaching seven-straight sellouts this season. Great fan support, coupled with our state-of-the-art practice facility and the development of a new arena, means the future is bright for our program."
Kennedy, the school's all-time winningest head coach, led the Rebels to the SEC Tournament title and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 this past season.
"I can't tell you how excited I am to have the opportunity to continue leading the men's basketball program at Ole Miss," Kennedy said. "The commitment shown by Ross and (Ole Miss Chancellor) Dr. Jones exemplifies their vision for our program moving forward. I am very proud of the foundation that we have laid and I look forward to building on this SEC Championship season."
Ole Miss tied a school record with 27 wins this season under the guidance of Kennedy, who was named SEC Coach of the Year for his efforts.
Kennedy owns a 152-87 record in seven seasons as head coach at Ole Miss and is the only coach in school history to post six 20-plus win seasons and lead his team to six postseason berths.
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