Boise State, Hawkins agree to five-year, $2.6 million contract

[DJRamFan]

Dec. 7, 2004
SportsLine.com wire reports

BOISE, Idaho -- Boise State coach Dan Hawkins signed a five-year, $2.6 million contract extension on Tuesday that could keep him with the Broncos through the 2009 season.

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"I'm very excited about what we have accomplished and even more excited about what is possible in the future," Hawkins said in a statement.

The contract will pay Hawkins a base salary of $525,000 per year.

The deal appears to take another highly desirable coach off the market. Hawkins' name has come up as a possible coaching candidate at places such as Washington, Mississippi and Stanford, and at Florida before Urban Meyer got the Gators job.

California coach Jeff Tedford, who had been speculated to be a target of Washington's search, also signed a five-year extension on Monday. Louisville's Bobby Petrino, whose agent contacted Ole Miss, released a statement Tuesday saying he planned to stay with the Cardinals.

Hawkins' new deal is packed with incentives.

If Boise State wins at least six games, Hawkins would receive a 5 percent raise the following year. Eight or nine wins guarantees a 10 percent raise, while winning 10 or more games would give Hawkins a 15 percent raise.

Additionally, Hawkins will get 1/12 of his salary if Boise State finishes in the top 25, and he would get an additional $10,000 bonus if the Broncos finish in the top 10.

The contract also allows Hawkins to receive 1/12 of his salary bonus for a conference championship and a 5 percent bonus for a bowl appearance without a conference championship.

If Hawkins stays at Boise State until 2008 he will receive a $350,000 bonus and if he stays until the end of the deal 2010 he gets an additional bonus of $150,000. If Hawkins wants to leave Boise State, it will cost him or his new team $850,000 to buy out the contract.

During Hawkins' four years with Boise State, as head coach, Boise State has won three consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships and compiled a 44-6 record, including a perfect 11-0 this year.

Since Hawkins took over at Boise State four seasons ago, the Broncos led the country in scoring twice and are second this year. The 10th ranked Broncos will play Dec. 31 in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., against No. 7 Louisville.

"I'm looking forward to continuing to grow this program further," he said.

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