Kelly Graves will sport green and yellow for many years to come.
On Thursday, Oregon announced that Graves signed a new six-year, $4.125 million contract that will keep him in Eugene through the 2022-23 season.
He will earn $625,000 in contract year one and his salary will increase by $25,000 each year, earning $750,000 in year six, per his contract provided to the Emerald in a records request.
“We’re thrilled with the trajectory of the program, and look forward to continued growth in the coming years,” Graves said in a news release. “I really appreciate the faith from Rob Mullens and the rest of our administration to continue the progress we’ve made the last three years.”
Graves and the Ducks are coming off the most successful season in program history. After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, the Ducks advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to UConn in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In the process, Oregon knocked off Temple, Duke and Maryland. No other team in school history had reached the Sweet 16.
In the release, athletic director Rob Mullens called Graves one of the nation’s top coaches.
“He’s providing a positive student-athlete experience while broadening the reach of his program in the community, and we’re glad he’ll be a Duck for at least another six years,” Mullens said.
The Ducks, picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 preseason poll, flew to new heights under Graves in 2016-17. After signing the nation’s No. 3 ranked recruiting class by espnW, Graves and the Ducks finished the season 23-14, good enough for a No. 16 ranking in the final coaches’ poll.
Graves, 60-42 in three years at Oregon, signed a five-year contract when he was hired in 2014 to replace Paul Westhead.
“I’m not even the least bit surprised at what they’re doing,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said last month. “Not even a little bit. I remember when Kelly got the job. I told everybody in the coaching profession, I said, ‘They’re going to be in the Final Four sooner than anybody thinks.’”
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