Ole Miss AD Ross Bjork agrees to 4-year extension

OXFORD – In the past 12 months, Ole Miss was the only school to place a team in the College World Series, a New Year's Six bowl game and the men's NCAA basketball tournament.

On Friday, the man in charge of it all was rewarded.

Ole Miss athletics director Ross Bjork agreed to a four-year contract extension that will keep him in Oxford through 2019, chancellor Dan Jones announced on Friday.

"No doubt the best days are yet to come for Mississippi's flagship university," Bjork said in a release. "Together, we have a bright future as we continue to build on the success in academics, athletics and fundraising."

Bjork will have a base salary of $650,000. The deal also includes $100,000 in academic and on-the-field performance incentives.

"I'm pleased to have a renewed commitment to Ole Miss from Ross," Jones said. "All of us are grateful for his remarkable leadership, not only in athletics but far beyond."

Since arriving at Ole Miss in 2012, just months after the Rebels finished arguably their worst football season in program history, Bjork has helped bring in a record number of private donations.

He's worked to increase the athletics budget to $92 million for the 2015-16 season. When he took over, Ole Miss had an annual budget of about $50 million, which ranked near the bottom of the Southeastern Conference.

Bjork was also announced Friday as a member of the NCAA's men's basketball oversight committee, which is charged with enhancing the development and public perception of the sport.

"Sonya and I quickly realized what the Ole Miss family already knew: Ole Miss and Oxford make up a very special place, the perfect blend of academics, social life and athletics," Bjork said. "Furthermore, we have been deeply moved by all of the support we have received from the Ole Miss family over the past three years and feel like we've been embraced with open arms every step of the way.

"I am eternally grateful to Chancellor Dan Jones for not only bringing us to Ole Miss, but more importantly, his transformational leadership and unwavering support of athletics. Personally, Sonya and I will miss Dan and Lydia's presence on campus, and we will always value their friendship."

In his time at the helm, Bjork has set forth and overseen plans to both expand and renovate several of Ole Miss' athletic facilities through the Forward Together campaign.

Ole Miss' new 9,500-seat basketball arena is expected to be completed in time for the start of next basketball season. The athletics department also plans to break ground this year on an expansion of the north end zone of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, adding 3,500 seats.

Bjork's extension comes just two days after women's basketball coach Matt Insell also agreed to a new four-year deal. Four years is the maximum contract allowed by Mississippi state law.

"Everyone in the Ole Miss family will continue to be asked to do their part as we take the next step towards graduating all of our student-athletes and competing for and winning championships," Bjork said. "The journey continues. We are Ole Miss."