Kyle Tucker

USA TODAY Sports

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Mark Stoops inherited a mess as the University of Kentucky's new football coach and it became clear during a 2-10 debut season last fall it's going to take him some time to clean it up. Athletic director Mitch Barnhart gave him more time Tuesday when he announced a contract extension through the 2018 season – and a pay increase for the final two years of the new deal.

Stoops' initial contract was set to expire on Dec. 31, 2017. His new one runs out June 30, 2019, so he has five seasons remaining on the deal. He will make $2.1 million this season, $2.2 million next and $2.3 million in 2016 – all part of the original contract – but his pay for the 2017 season has been bumped from $2.4 million to $2.5 million and he'll get $2.65 million for the added year, a UK spokesman said.

"We are excited about the enthusiasm and recruiting success that Mark and his staff have brought to our football program," Barnhart said in a school-issued news release. "We had the nation's second-largest increase in attendance last season and we have had the two largest spring-game attendances in school history (in 2013 and 2014).

"In recruiting, Mark and his tireless assistant coaches have made an obvious impact with their first two classes and that momentum is carrying forward for 2015."

The last three recruiting classes by Stoops' predecessor, Joker Phillips, ranked 50th or worse nationally by Rivals.com and the Class of 2013 was ranked in the 60s when Stoops was hired in December of 2012. In six weeks, he turned that into the No. 29 class in the country. He followed that with a consensus top-25 haul in the Class of 2014 and while it's early, the 2015 class ranks 24th nationally.

Stoops has signed or received verbal commitments from 15 four-star recruits, per Rivals' rankings, in less than three full recruiting classes – including two already in this class. Kentucky signed 13 four-star players in the 10 previous recruiting classes.

Fans have rallied behind the new coach, too. Average announced attendance was up by 9,781 last season and UK set a spring-game record with more than 50,000 last year. This year's spring-game crowd of 35,000 was the second biggest in program history.

Stoops' new deal continues a recent increase in the school's commitment to football. Each of Stoops' assistants recently received contract extensions and many of them received raises, bumping the staff's total annual pay by $280,000. A $110 million Commonwealth Stadium renovation is underway and a $45 million football training complex has been approved and is in the design stages.

Kyle Tucker also writes for the Louisville Courier-Journal