SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. — For the fourth time in his tenure as Rhode Island men's basketball coach, Dan Hurley has signed a contract extension.

Hurley’s new deal runs through the 2023-24 season and strengthens the commitment the school made to him following the 2015-16 season, when he signed an extension through 2021-22. A long-awaited return to the NCAA Tournament and the excitement created among the fan base will hopefully generate revenue streams required to compete with Atlantic 10 powers VCU and Dayton.

"I appreciate the opportunity to continue to lead the Rhode Island men's basketball program,” Hurley said in a statement. “So much goes into building a championship culture and I am proud of the efforts we have made in all facets of our program.”

Hurley’s base salary of $300,000 remains intact, and his annual compensation by the end of the deal will be nearly $1.1 million. The state is responsible for a small portion of his salary thanks to its 9-percent contribution to URI’s general operating budget. The school is responsible for the remainder.

In addition to his base salary, Hurley will receive:

• $640,000 in gate receipts annually from 2017-18 to 2021-22, with any shortfall offset by a five-year, $1 million pledge from the URI Foundation. (Hurley received $590,000 in gate receipts in 2016-17.)

• $10,000 for appearances at athletic department functions through 2017.

• $60,000 for appearances at athletic department functions through 2018.

• $110,000 for appearances at athletic department functions from 2019-24.

• $25,000 for his radio show.

• $65,000 for an away game guarantee (buy game).

“Dan's leadership and commitment to our student-athletes has now firmly established our men's basketball program as one of the top in the Atlantic 10 conference,” URI president David M. Dooley said in a statement. “We look forward to next season and continuing to build on the momentum that Dan, his coaching staff, and our student-athletes have developed over the past few years.”

The Rams finished 25-10 last season and ended an 18-year NCAA Tournament drought, losing 75-72 to Oregon in the second round after defeating Creighton in their Midwest Regional opener.

“The transformation and establishment of the championship culture was evident in March — from cutting down the nets at the Atlantic 10 Championship through the run to the NCAA Tournament,” URI athletic director Thorr Bjorn said in a statement. “I am excited to continue our partnership with Dan and to continue to help this program grow through his vision and leadership.”

URI benefits in the form of increased buyout amounts through the life of the deal. The school would be entitled to a maximum payment of $1.5 million after the 2017-18 or 2018-19 seasons, $1.2 million through the following three seasons and $500,000 through the final two if paid in equal monthly installments. Lump sum payments of $1.25 million, $1 million, $850,000, $700,000 and $500,000 could be made to terminate the contract through the first five years. Hurley’s previous buyout called for $1.2 million in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

However, there are no specific program enhancements in the new deal. An increased number of charter flights, an increased salary pool for basketball staff and renovations to basketball offices and the locker room had been staples of previous contract extensions for Hurley. But URI appears to have reached its limit regarding its basketball budget. According to numbers previously released by the U.S. Department of Education, URI ($4.29 million) ranked 94th in spending among all Division I programs in 2015-16. Providence (38th, $7.9 million), Saint Louis (63rd, $6.41 million), VCU (82nd, $5.68 million), Dayton (89th, $5 million) and Richmond (90th, $4.84 million) were among the programs ahead of URI.

Coming off their most successful season in almost two decades, attendance at home games would appear to be an area where the Rams could improve and boost their budget. URI was 99th in Division I in average home attendance in 2016-17, averaging 5,173. Dayton (22nd, 13,018), Providence (53rd, 8,493), VCU (67th, 7,637), Richmond (93rd, 5,893) and Saint Louis (96th, 5,593) all ranked higher. The Rams played to just 67.55 percent capacity, ranking 94th, at the 7,657-seat Ryan Center.

Hurley welcomes back senior guards E.C. Matthews, Jarvis Garrett, Jared Terrell and Stanford Robinson to Kingston and five players in all who scored at least 22 points in a single game last season. Standout freshmen Jeff Dowtin and Cyril Langevine will carry significant experience into their second seasons, and URI also returns forward Nicola Akele, guard Christion Thompson and fan favorite Andre Berry.

Add junior college forward Ryan Preston, forward Mike Layssard, redshirt freshman center Michael Tertsea and incoming freshman guard Daron Russell — the most valuable player in Philadelphia’s Public League and a Pennsylvania state champion in his final high school season — and the Rams appear ready to contend again.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25