According to reports from the Associated Press, Xavier has given head coach Chris Mack a new contract that will take him through the 2017-18 season. In two season's with the program Mack has captured a pair of regular season conference championships, two NCAA Tournament berths and was the Atlantic-10 Coach of the Year following last season.
Xavier has been a coaching hotbed over the last 15 years having seen the late Skip Prosser, Thad Matta and Sean Miller all pass through the program before Mack took over last year. The Musketeers over that time have also been one of the most consistent teams in the country, having won at least 20 games in 13 of the last 14 seasons and having won 9 NCAA Tournament games in the last four years.
This move is a no-brainer for Xavier. There were questions about whether or not the Musketeers could maintain their level of excellence following Miller's departure for Arizona, but Mack has taken the reins without missing a beat. Just in case there are any questions about his ability to bring in additional talent and not simply win with someone else's players, Xavier's 2011 recruiting class features three players ranked in the top 30 nationally at their respective positions.