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Show e all remember the original BCS-busting RYAN football team of 2004. Utah went undefeated and clinched a spot in the Fiesta Bowl, and for one season the "mid-major" Utes earned a spot at the big kid's table. But it didn't last. In two seasons at the helm, coach Urban Meyer turned Utah into a national player, but just as the Utes were about to reap the rewards of the undefeated campaign, Meyer accepted a job to become the next coach of the Florida Gators. For Meyer, Utah was nothing but a stepping stone to bigger and better things. He used his position as the Ute coach to demonstrate what he could do and when a more prestigious job came around, offering more perks and more money, he was gone. After what happened on Wednesday, those days may be behind us. It's a different sport, yes, but the fact that Utah signed Larry Krystkowiak to an extension through 2023 and upped his salary to $2.4 million per season shows that Utah isn't a stepping stone anymore. According to USA Today, Krystkowiak is now one of the top 20 highest paid basketball coaches in the NCAA, and the third-highest paid coach in the Pac-12, trailing only Arizona's Sean Miller ($3.07 million) and UCLA's Steve Alford ($2.6 million). You know, the two schools in the conference known for their decades worth of basketball tradition. When you add the new basketball center that is nearing completion to the mix, Utah is certainly acting like a national power. This is the first time Utah athletic director Chris Hill has made this type of commitment to a coach. He's mostly tried to stay around the middle of the conference (or should I say middle of the Pac) when it comes to coaches' salaries. This is a clear deviation from that. So, why now? The answer may just be found in Hill's statement in the university press release announcing the extension. It just takes a little reading between the lines. "Our men's basketball program has made tremendous strides these past four seasons under Coach Krystkowiak" Hill said. "The success of a program starts with its head coach, and he has provided outstanding leadership for our student-athletes. Larry is aware of his value to our program. It is clear that his success has been noted throughout the country, and we are pleased to be able to solidify his commitment to our program." Larry is aware of his value to our program. Larry knows he is a hot commodity. You don't have ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports, USA Today, The New York Times and others writing glowing profiles on you and your program without thinking you're pretty badass. What's the old expression — strike when the iron's hot? Yeah, it was never going to get hotter. A Sweet 16 appearance, a top 15 final national ranking and a couple players who may be first-round picks in June's NBA Draft, and the credit to Utah's rise was pretty much going all to Mr. Krystkowiak. If he wanted a bigger or longer contract, this was the time to ask for it. But that's the thing — even if Larry K. walked into the Hill's office and asked for more money and more years (remember, the Utes just extended Krystkowiak last season), Utah was willing to give it to him, and that speaks volumes. After the growing pains that pretty much every single sports program went through upon entering the Pac-12, Utah finally got to see some major success this season. Under Krystkowiak, the Runnin' Utes made national noise pretty much all season. The Utah administration got a taste of success this year, apparently want much more and are willing to pay handsomely for it. "We always speak about the culture within our program, and a big part of that is realizing who we are," Krystkowiak said in the release. On the court Utah has graduated to the big kid's table, and with Krystkowiak's contract extension it looks like the administration is ready to be all grown up too. r.miller@chronicle.utah.edu @millerjryan W HERE TO STAY 6 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 2015 } MILLER CONTRACT EXTENSION SHOWS UTAH IS NO LONGER A "STEPPING STONE" oing to the Sweet 16 has its perks — just ask Utah head coach Larry Krystkowiak. Just two weeks after he led the Runnin' Utes to Houston, the Utah athletic office announced that it is extending Krystkowiak's contract through 2022-23, worth $2.4 million per year. Athletic director Chris Hill made the announcement Wednesday afternoon and had nothing but praise for the Jim Phelan Coach of the Year finalist. "Our men's basketball program has made tremendous strides these past four seasons under Coach Krystkowiak" said Hill. "The success of a program starts with its head coach, and he has provided outstanding leadership for our student-athletes. Larry is aware of his value to our program. It is clear that his success has been noted throughout the country, and we are pleased to be able to solidify his commitment to our program" Utah is coming off of its most successful campaign since the mid2000s, registering a 26-9 record and finishing at No. 15 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll. Additionally, the Utes finished third in the Pac-12, their best finish since joining the Conference of Champions. After getting by Stephen F. Austin and Georgetown in consecutive rounds of the NCAA tournament, Utah fell to Duke, the eventual national champion, in the Sweet 16. But Ute fans can hold their heads high knowing the Runnin' Utes finished within six points of the Blue Devils, Duke's lowest win margin besides the national championship game. In the press conference after that Duke game, Krystkowiak mentioned he wasn't thinking about the next step for him and this program, opting to be in the moment with his team. Well, the head coach just made his next move. "I want to thank Dr. Hill and President Pershing for their amazing support of the men's basketball team" Krystkowiak said. "We always speak about the culture within our program, and a big part of that is realizing who we are. I'm a big believer in those I work for, those I work with and the studentathletes I get to coach. This is an amazing university with an incredible basketball program, one which I feel very proud and humbled to be a part of" g.adams@chronicle.utah.edu @GriffDoug G 7 |