I can't believe Iowa gave Alford a one year extension and raise!! ... a raise !!

this guy has done nothing that impressive to me to get the extention much less a raise.




IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -Steve Alford got his wish Tuesday: a contract extension and a pay raise.



Iowa athletic director Bob Bowlsby announced that Alford was given a one-year extension that keeps him under contract until June 30, 2010. The deal includes a bump in Alford's annual base salary to $500,000, an increase of 16.7 percent from the previous year.

When combined with endorsement deals, camps, apparel contracts and income from his radio show, Alford's annual salary is estimated at $925,000, according to the contract. The deal also includes $300,000 longevity bonuses paid in June of each year Alford remains in his position.

Last year Alford earned an estimated $1.15 million, putting him in the top tier of Big Ten coaches, Bowlsby said.

``I appreciate the administration's confidence in our program. The men's basketball staff feels very good about the direction the program is headed. The future of Iowa basketball is excellent and I look forward to what lies ahead,'' Alford said in a statement.

An extension has been in the works for months, but finalizing a deal was slowed by Bowlsby's announcement that he is leaving Iowa in July to become the athletic director at Stanford University.

Bowlsby said the one-year deal serves a dual purpose. It reflects confidence in Alford while giving Bowlsby's successor - who has yet to be named - the flexibility to make their own personnel decisions.

``You always would like to have a coach with at least four years in the contract package for recruiting purposes,'' Bowlsby told The Associated Press. ``But you also do what's required to move us forward without unnecessarily binding anybody that might come into my chair later on.''

The deal comes months after Alford's most successful season as Hawkeye head coach. Iowa finished 25-9, won the Big Ten tournament and 17 straight home games. The season ended in disappointing fashion when the Hawkeyes lost on a last-second shot in the first round of the NCAA tournament. It was the third time Iowa was invited to the tournament in Alford's seven seasons.

Alford was not the only Iowa coach given an extra year Tuesday.

The university also gave extensions and pay raises to women's basketball coach Lisa Bluder and softball coach Gayle Blevins.

Bluder, who just finished her sixth season at Iowa, is now under contract until June 30, 2011. Her deal includes a base salary of $293,000, an 11.7 percent increase from the previous year.

Blevins, in her 19th year in Iowa City, is under contract until July 1, 2007. She will be paid $115,000 next year, an increase of 14.4 percent.