Rhode Island and head coach Dan Hurley have agreed to a two-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season, the school announced on Tuesday.
The extension comes on the heals of Rhode Island’s run to the Atlantic 10 championship and first NCAA Tournament berth since 1999. The Rams defeated 6 seed Creighton in the First Round before taking eventual Final Four participant Oregon to the wire in the Second Round.
Rhode Island President David M. Dooley said the following in a press release:
"The University of Rhode Island is pleased to support the two-year extension of Dan Hurley's contract. Dan's leadership and commitment to our student-athletes has now firmly established our men's basketball program as one of the top in the Atlantic 10 conference. We look forward to next season and continuing to build on the momentum that Dan, his coaching staff, and our student-athletes have developed over the past few years."
In five seasons at Rhode Island, Hurley has turned an eight-win team into a conference champion, building an 87-73 overall record along the way. Following a complete rebuild, the Rams reached the NIT by his third season, complete with a 23-10 record and second-place finish in the Atlantic 10.
Hurley’s rapid success has made him a hot name for potential high-major coaching jobs around the country. While a contract extension may not necessarily mitigate those rumors in the future, it does show Rhode Island’s commitment to success in basketball.
Hurley said in the press release:
“So much goes into building a championship culture and I am proud of the efforts we have made in all facets of our program. We know there is a great responsibility in representing our state university and we are proud of our many successes in competition, in the classroom, and in the community.”
Next season, E.C. Matthews and Jared Terrell will lead an experienced group that returns almost three quarters of its offense from 2016-17. The expectation will be to again contend for a conference title and tournament bid.