In an effort to keep UNM head football coach Rocky Long, the University's Athletics Department plans on extending his contract.
Long, having just completed his sixth season at UNM, has posted an impressive track record with the team, increasing its victory total in each of the past four years.
He has also coached the team to two straight bowl game appearances, a feat that has not been accomplished in more than half a century.
Long signed a five-year contract with UNM when he was hired in 1997. Rudy Davalos, the University's athletics director, has extended it twice since then, once in 2000 and again in 2002.
Despite having three years left on his current contract, Davalos said he wants to extend Long's contract another two or three years to "let him know that he is the right person for the job."
"We want to give him the security to know that he is the coach to lead UNM's football team into the future," Davalos said.
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Davalos could not give a date for the expected contract extension, saying only that it will happen sometime over the spring semester.
Long, who has said he doesn't have any intentions of marketing his talents in the national college football pool, has gained respect from Davalos and the Athletics Department with his loyalty to UNM.
Long was out of town Wednesday and was not available for comment.
"We've given him extensions when the team wasn't doing so well, and we're going to give him an extension now that they are doing good," Davalos said.
He said the revised contract will come with a salary increase, but would not elaborate on the amount.
Long earns a salary of just over $158,000 a year. His complete compensation package, including annuities, radio and television deals is worth more than $300,000, according to University records.
"The bottom line is that we are confident Coach Long is the man for the job here," Davalos said. "We want to make sure he knows that."
