AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger has received a two-year contract extension that keeps him with the Cyclones through the 2028-29 season.
Athletic director Jamie Pollard announced the extension Monday, noting Otzelberger has led the team to the NCAA Tournament each of his first two seasons and signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history.
“The complete transformation of our program in such a short time is a testament to Coach Otzelberger’s leadership and vision for Cyclone Basketball, and he is most deserving of this extension and a compensation increase,” Pollard said.
When Otzelberger was hired away from UNLV, he agreed to a lower salary to help the athletic department manage buyout costs of the previous staff.
Otzelberger’s annual salary will increase from $2 million to $2.5 million on July 1, $3 million in 2024 and $3.5 million in 2025. He will received $100,000 increases each of the following years.
Iowa State was 19-14 overall and finished fifth in the Big 12 Conference with a 9-9 record. The Cyclones had a nation-leading six wins over top-10 teams and were one of two teams to win eight against Top 25 opponents.
Otzelberger took over a team that won two games in 2020-21 and led it to 22 wins and an NCAA regional semifinal in his first year for the biggest turnaround ever by a Power Five program.
His latest recruiting class was ranked No. 8 by ESPN, ninth by 247Sports and 10th by Rivals and features McDonald’s All-American Omaha Biliew.
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