Courtesy Vermont Athletic Communications
University of Vermont Director of Athletics Dr. Robert Corran announced today that men's basketball coach Mike Lonergan has agreed to a new contract that goes through the 2011-12 season. The new contract will take effect on July 1 and Lonergan's base salary for the 2007-08 season will be $150,000.
"In his tenure as men's basketball head coach, Mike Lonergan has provided exceptional leadership and vision," said Corran. "Our program and student-athletes have thrived under his mentorship, pointing to a very bright future. We are all the more excited knowing that Mike and his family will continue as members of the Catamount Family for at least the next five years."
"My family and I are very happy and appreciative of the long term commitment that Dr. Corran and UVM have made to us," said Lonergan. "We are very excited about the future of UVM under the tremendous leadership of President Fogel. This is truly a special place and we look forward to being a part of the UVM community for a long time."
"We love the state of Vermont and think it is the perfect place to raise our children. We have the greatest fans in the country and I know they share our excitement about the future of not only the men's basketball team, but all of our teams under Dr. Corran's guidance. We feel extremely blessed to be a part of the Catamount Family!"
A 1988 graduate of Catholic University, Lonergan has guided the Catamounts to a record of 38-25 in his first two years on campus and is 289-115 all-time in 14 years as a head coach. This past season he guided Vermont to a mark of 25-8 overall and won the America East Regular Season Championship with a 15-1 league mark. The Catamounts tied the school record for wins in a season and advanced the postseason National Invitational Tournament for the first time in school history. Vermont also tied for the national lead in road/neutral victories with 16 on the season, which included winning 13 straight at one point.
Lonergan guided Vermont to its first victory over a ranked opponent in the regular season as the Catamounts shocked #14 Boston College 77-63 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. on Nov. 13. Following the season he was named the America East Coach of the Year, the NABC District I Coach of the Year, CollegeInsider.com America East Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Mid-Major Coach of the Year.
Lonergan led Vermont to the conference title game in his first season as coach with the least-experienced team in the nation in 2005-06, as the Catamounts became the first six seed in league history to reach the finals. With Vermont heading back to the championship game this past season, he is the first coach in the America East since Karl Fogel of Northeastern in 1986-87 to take his team to back-to-back title game appearances in his first two years with a school.