The University of North Carolina (UNC) - Chapel Hill extended head men's basketball coach Roy Williams' contract through the 2019-2020 season.
Announced on the team's website Friday, the new four-year extension replaces the three years that were remaining on Williams' previous pact with the school. The new deal could be one of the last ones Williams signs, as the 64-year-old coach indicated he is thinking about retirement.
"I've said I want to coach another six to 10 years, so this contract takes me right to the edge of that, which is good," he said in the team's news release. "I appreciate the confidence Chancellor Folt and Bubba Cunningham have in my leadership of the basketball program. They've demonstrated that with this contract extension, and with their support over the past several years, which have been a challenge for all who love Carolina as I do. I thank them on behalf of our basketball program and me personally."
The extension is also a public vote of confident from Folt and Cunningham in the midst of UNC - Chapel Hill's academic fraud scandal. Williams was all but cleared in the NCAA's Notice of Allegations and the school was reportedly negotiating this extension shortly after the document was issued.
Over the next four seasons, William's base salary will start at $408,169 and reach $595,409 by the end. Williams will also receive a deferred salary ranging from $1,550,000 to $1,750,000 and $40,000 expense account. The extension also has built-in incentives related to the NCAA Tournament that could reach $1 million in a single season.
"The University of North Carolina is fortunate to have Roy Williams directing its basketball program and we are proud to extend his contract through the 2020 season," Cunningham said in the release. "His results on the court over 27 years as a head coach are among the most accomplished in the history of the sport, but his love for the University of North Carolina and the way he cares for his students are truly unmatched. Roy is a man of character and integrity and I have great respect for the way he leads our basketball program."
