Georgia State extended the contract of men’s basketball coach Ron Hunter two more years to 2020 on Friday after the Panthers won the Sun Belt regular season championship last season.
Hunter’s base salary will increase by $25,000 to $425,000 for 2014-15, beginning April 30. It will increase to $440,000 next year and $460,000 the year after. The contract can be renegotiated after three years in 2017-18.
“It’s a commitment,” Hunter said. “Since I’ve been here it seems that every year people are waiting on me to leave. This is something that my family and I were excited about. This allows me to try to make this one of the best mid-majors we can possibly be.”
Should the Panthers appear in the NCAA tournament, Hunter’s base salary will increase to $500,000 the following year. The clause and increase were also in his previous contract.
The buyout clause will stay the same at $650,000 and decrease by $50,000 each year. Those were the same terms as in the previous contract.
This is the second contract extension/change Hunter has received since joining the program for the 2011-12 season. He was named the Sun Belt’s coach of the year after going 25-9 last season. The Panthers were 22-11 in Hunter’s first year, which is when his original contract was extended to 2018, and 15-16 in 2012-13.
“Ron epitomizes what we want in a coach, a leader and a role model for the Georgia State Athletics Department, and he has all the characteristics needed to build a powerhouse program in the Sun Belt Conference,” athletic director Cheryl Levick said in a statement given to the media. “We have made a commitment to each other through 2020 and look forward to many championship celebrations in the coming years.”
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