UCLA Gives Mick Cronin Contract Extension After Captivating Tourney Run

UCLA had quite a run in the NCAA Tournament this year. It started with a play-in game and ended with an OT buzzer-beater from Gonzaga in the Final Four.

Now, coach Mick Cronin is being rewarded with a two-year contract extension that will raise his salary to $4 million per year. UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond announced the agreement on Thursday.

"I love being at UCLA," Cronin, 49, said in a statement. "The commitment from our players over the past two seasons has been rewarding, especially as we have dealt with some unusual challenges during a global pandemic. I would like to thank our players and my coaching staff for their continued commitment to build this basketball program into something of which we can all be proud."

The Bruins, a No. 11 seed, had to beat Michigan State in a play-in game after a solid-but-unspectacular regular season, and they took then-unbeaten Gonzaga to the brink before Zags guard Jalen Suggs banked in a 3-pointer at the OT buzzer.

"In less than two years in Westwood -- through seasons disrupted by a global pandemic -- Mick has led UCLA men's basketball back to its rightful place among the nation's elite," Jarmond said in a statement. "His leadership has given Bruin Nation a program to be proud of, galvanizing alumni and fans around the world, and it's only the beginning. This extension represents the stability and commitment needed to execute the long-term vision that Mick and I share. The future is bright."