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Xavier coach Chris Mack was rumored with seemingly every job opening this offseason, with Wake Forest, Tennessee and California all making approaches.
After turning down each school, Mack put pen to paper on a new extension that will keep him in Cincinnati through the 2019-20 season.
"We have lofty goals for our basketball program," Mack said in a statement. “Xavier is a special place and the support from the entire Xavier Community is overwhelming. Xavier and the City of Cincinnati are home to me. As both an alum and the head coach, I am excited about the challenges ahead. Between our returning players and the new recruiting class, the coming years at Xavier will be special. We’re ready to get started right now.”
The Musketeers have been to the NCAA Tournament four times during Mack's five seasons as the coach, including this season's 21-13 campaign. Mack is 111-57 overall at Xavier.
“It’s clear that our men’s basketball program is pointed in the right direction," athletic director Greg Christopher said. “Xavier’s three decades of sustained success is the result of intentional planning and efforts from many people here at Xavier. Maintaining that success starts with the right leadership and Chris is that person. Whether it’s coaching, recruiting or how he runs and represents the program, Chris does a terrific job and is the perfect fit for Xavier. Chris and our coaches share the vision we all have to win a Big East Championship and reach the Final Four. This new agreement came from our year-end conversations and touches the entire program. In the end, Xavier is committed to and expects high-level success in men’s basketball. We will always make sure our program is built in a manner to compete for championships.”
Mack was an assistant on Sean Miller's staff at Xavier for five seasons before being named the head coach back in 2009.
