CU extends football coach Mike MacIntyre's contract

The University of Colorado rewarded football coach Mike MacIntyre for his success in 2016 with a three-year contract extension through 2021 that will pay him more than $3 million a year.

The contract, subject to approval by the university’s Board of Regents, is worth $16.25 million over five years, school officials said. His salary for 2017 is $3.1 million, with small increases each of the next four years.

"I am ecstatic that we will be at University of Colorado for the foreseeable future,” MacIntyre said in a news release. “There's no place my family and I would rather be.We absolutely love it here, the people have been great and I truly believe this is just the beginning."

MacIntyre, 51, has won seven of the eight national coach of the year awards presented for the 2016 season after guiding the Buffs to a 10-4 record this season, including an 8-1 mark in the Pacific-12 and a spot in the conference championship game as the South Division winner.

The Buffs were ranked No. 10 in the College Football Playoff’s final rankings.

CU’s season ended with a loss to Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl. It was the first postseason appearance by the Buffs since 2007.

"I am delighted that Coach MacIntyre wants to lead our football team for many years to come,” CU Boulder Chancellor Phillip DiStefano said. “He has brought our program back to national prominence and that exposure has benefited the entire university. Coach MacIntyre has motivated our student-athletes to perform at their best both on the field and in the classroom with record levels for team grade-point averages."

MacIntyre is 20-31 in four seasons with the Buffs. CU went 4-8, 2-10 and 4-9 in MacIntyre’s first three seasons in Boulder. He spent the previous three seasons turning around the program at San Jose State, guiding the Spartans to an 11-win season and top-25 ranking in his final season.

“We’re really happy about extending Mike’s contract out through 2021,” athletic director Rick George said. “Continuity and consistency are the most important factors for us as we continue to build our program. So we’re obviously excited that he we will continue to serve in that leadership role.”

MacIntyre has won national coach of the year awards presented by the Walter Camp Foundation, the Associated Press, ESPN/Home Depot, SB Nation and Scout.com, in addition to winning the Eddie Robinson and Bobby Dodd trophies. He is a finalist for the American Football Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year and Comeback Coach of the Year awards, which will be presented Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

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