U of M extends AD Mark Coyle's contract through 2024
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (KMSP) - The contract for University of Minnesota Athletic Director Mark Coyle was extended Friday, keeping him with Gophers Athletics through June 2024.
The Board of Regents approved the extension as University President Eric Kaler praised his colleague.
"When I offered Mark Coyle this job two and a half years ago, I picked him knowing we needed a leader who would ensure Gopher Athletics would be run with a focus on financial responsibility, NCAA compliance and a strong commitment to making the student-athlete experience its top priority. Mark has delivered all this and more," said Kaler.
"Gopher teams have set a variety of academic records while also winning 11 Big Ten titles, one of the highest totals in the conference. I'm looking forward to seeing how the department will continue to grow and succeed in the years to come under his guidance," Kaler added.
Coyle started in Minneapolis May 11, 2016 and, since then, Gopher teams have taken home 11 Big Ten team titles and four individual national championships.
Also of note is the department-wide GPA of 3.24, which is tied for the best in Gopher Sports history. Last spring, every Gopher program posted a team GPA of 3.0 or better, a first in the department. 92 percent of Gopher athletes graduate, which is the highest among Big Ten public schools.
Coyle expressed his gratitude and his excitement for the future in a statement as well:
I was incredibly grateful to President Kaler for offering my family the opportunity to return to the Midwest and giving me the chance to once again work for Gopher Athletics. I'm also grateful for his support today, along with the Board of Regents, and the investment they made in executive stability for our department. I'm proud of our student-athletes, for their hard work and exemplary performance in the classroom and their extraordinary effort and broad-based success in competition. I'm also proud of the nearly 300 full-time employees that are my teammates in our athletic department. Their dedication to our student-athletes gives us the opportunity to be one of the best athletics departments in the country. We have accomplished great things these last few years, but I'm excited to know there's so much more we can accomplish together.