Romar agrees to new 10-year contract

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SEATTLE -- Lorenzo Romar is staying put at Washington -- potentially for a decade.

Romar

Already No. 3 on the Huskies' all-time victory list, Romar agreed to a new 10-year contract on Monday that will keep him at the school through the 2019-20 season.

The school said Romar has agreed to the general terms of his new deal but the specific language was being finalized. Details won't be released until after Romar signs the contract

"I could not be more excited," Romar said in a statement. "I have always said this is where I wanted to be. It is so great to see president Mark Emmert, [athletic director] Scott Woodward and the rest of the administration step up and make it clear they want us to be here. That is really important."

Romar just completed his eighth season at Washington, the school he once played for and has now built into one of the elite programs on the West Coast. The Huskies finished 26-10 last season, won their second Pac-10 Conference tournament title and advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament for the third time in Romar's tenure.

Woodward hinted after the season that a new deal for Romar would be in the works.

Romar agreed to a contract extension during the 2006-07 season that kept him in Seattle through 2015-16. That deal paid Romar $1.105 million per season in guaranteed money -- $375,000 in base salary and the rest coming through endorsements, media commitments and speaking engagements. That deal put Romar in the upper echelon of salary for Pac-10 coaches.

"This new agreement enables us to continue the challenge of taking the program to the next level of competitive success," Romar said.

This season marked Romar's fifth NCAA tournament appearance with the Huskies, the best run for Washington since three straight tournament appearances in the mid-1980s. He has a 171-91 record at Washington, and is 264-179 as a head coach, with previous stops at Saint Louis and Pepperdine.

Romar played two seasons at Washington from 1978-1980 and spent five years in the NBA before becoming a college coach.

"He clearly loves the university, has a passion for what he does and has the respect of his team, our fans and his peers," Woodward said. "I have the utmost respect for Lorenzo and I am confident he will continue to lead our program to new heights."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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