Unlike their hockey coach, the Western Michigan University wasn’t going to let their basketball coach get away too.
On Wednesday, WMU and Steve Hawkins agreed to terms on a new five-year deal that would keep him as the basketball coach through the 2015-16 season. The contract includes a guaranteed salary of $310,000 per year, as well as incentives.
This upcoming season the Broncos are returning every single scholarship player from their 21 win team last year. Western Michigan also realized that it may be a less expensive option negotiating Hawkins’ new contract his summer rather than next summer.
Hawkins was also ready to get a contract done so he wouldn’t have to continue answering questions from recruits about it.
“We started talking pretty much immediately after last year,” said Hawkins, who turned 49 on Wednesday. “Both of us had the desire to do it. If we were going to do it, then I felt the need to get it done before next year and while the recruiting period was going on, or before the recruiting period.”
Source: Kalamazoo Gazette
