Memphis, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - With the school's first bowl appearance in six years on the horizon, Memphis announced Thursday it has awarded head football coach Justin Fuente with a contract extension.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, though SI.com reported it to be a five-year pact in which Fuente will earn $1.4 million in the first season.
Since becoming the Tigers' head coach in 2012, Fuente has resurrected a program that won a mere three games combined in two years under predecessor Larry Porter. After going just 7-17 over his first two seasons, the 38-year- old has guided Memphis to a 9-3 record and a share of the American Athletic Conference title in 2014.
The Tigers will play in their first postseason game since 2008 in Monday's Miami Beach Bowl against BYU.
"Our football program has enjoyed unprecedented success under Coach Fuente's leadership and we are excited to finalize this process and move forward," said Memphis director of athletics Tom Bowen. "The future of Tiger football is very bright and we look forward to the opportunity to build upon our success in the days and years ahead."
Fuente was chosen as the AAC's 2014 Coach of the Year for engineering the turnaround, while also being named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award.
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