Arizona State to extend Koetter's deal past '07
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State coach Dirk Koetter will have his contract extended after leading the Sun Devils to a bowl for the second straight season.
Athletic director Lisa Love said Tuesday that terms of the extension, including the length, were still being discussed, but Koetter said he is authorized to tell recruits he will be the coach through their time at the school.
Koetter's current contract is set to expire after the 2007 season.
"This extension is something I have wanted because I want to continue coaching at Arizona State University for a long, long time," he said. "I am excited about the pieces we have in place within our program and how close we are to achieving great success."
Koetter, 46, is 34-28 in five seasons at Arizona State.
The Sun Devils (6-5) play Rutgers in the Insight Bowl in Phoenix on Dec. 27. This year's team struggled after a disheartening 38-28 loss to No. 1 USC but became bowl-eligible by beating archrival Arizona in its regular-season finale.
The program underwent a detailed internal examination after a player on the team, tailback Loren Wade, was accused of shooting a former player to death outside a Scottsdale night club on March 26. Wade, who contends the gun went off accidentally, remains jailed on a murder charge.
An investigation into events prior to the shooting found "errors in judgment" by Koetter and then-athletic director Gene Smith but no violations of university policies or procedures.
In a separate case, the university has been placed on two years' probation by the NCAA and Pac-10 for improper benefits given to Wade by a school compliance officer. The university has tightened its practices as a result of problems uncovered in the internal probe.
On the field, the Sun Devils had their best season under Koetter in 2004, going 9-3, including a victory over Purdue in the Sun Bowl. The team has gone to a bowl game in three of Koetter's five seasons at ASU.
Koetter came to Arizona State from Boise State, where he directed the Broncos to a 26-10 record in three seasons.
Arizona State decided to announce the impending extension to stop other schools from using Koetter's contract status against him in recruiting.
"I am confident in Dirk's abilities as a mentor for our student-athletes," Love said.
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