Ohio Athletics and men's basketball coach John Groce finalized the terms of Groce's two-year contract extension Monday.
Groce will earn a $250,000 per year base salary - a $50,000 increase from his current salary - as well as $25,000 per year for TV and radio appearances and another $25,000 per year for public appearances, making his yearly guaranteed compensation $300,000.
The raise will make Groce the third-highest paid employee at the school behind President Roderick McDavis and football coach Frank Solich. It will also keep Groce under contract through 2014-15.
Assistant Athletics Director of Media Relations Jason Corriher confirmed yesterday that Groce had signed the extension.
The contract will also keep Groce under contract through 2014-15. He was hired in June 2008.
Groce said in a news conference last week that he is thrilled about the extension and having a chance to continue to build Ohio's basketball program.
The Bobcats are 37-32 in two seasons under Groce. This past year, in a season filled with turmoil, Groce's team managed to go all the way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore guard Steven Coleman, the team's leading returning scorer from 2008-09, broke his wrist in early January and missed the rest of the season with the injury.
The team also suspended four different players throughout the season and also dismissed freshman guard Jay Kinney from the team.
But through all the struggles, Ohio won the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 9 seed - the lowest ever to win the tournament - to earn its berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The No. 14 seed Bobcats then shocked No. 3 Georgetown 97-83 in the first round of the tournament before an 83-68 loss to No. 6 Tennessee ended Ohio's season.
News of Groce's extension came at the same time as the announcement that Armon Bassett declared for the NBA Draft. Bassett led the team with 17.1 points per game during the year.
Bassett averaged 29 points per game during the MAC Tournament and scored 32 points in the victory against Georgetown.
After the season, various reports linked Groce to head-coaching vacancies at large-conference schools such as Clemson and Wake Forest, but Groce said that no teams ever contacted him personally.
2 Sports
Vince Nairn
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Ohio head coach John Groce screams after a charge was called against a Georgetown player in the second half of Ohio
