Reacting to a recent report that he had been offered a two-year contract extension, Gophers men's hockey coach Don Lucia told the Star Tribune on Wednesday that no deal has been finalized.
"[Athletic director] Mark Coyle and I have had some good discussions, but I haven't signed anything yet," he said.
He declined to say whether he has an official offer from Coyle, who took the job in June.
The alleged offer, first reported by 1500-AM, was reported to be a two-year extension worth between $550,000 and $600,000, taking him through the 2018-19 season.
Lucia, who turns 58 in August, is heading into the final year of his current deal. The deal calls for him to make about $400,000 next season in base pay and supplemental income, with another $100,000-plus in possible bonuses if the Gophers have Big Ten and NCAA tournament success.
The coach with two Gophers national titles to his name entered the summer with a somewhat uncertain future in Minnesota — in part because of another change at the top of the athletics department, and also because his Gophers missed the 16-team NCAA tournament this past spring for the first time since 2011. But Lucia's teams have won five consecutive regular season conference titles, two in the WCHA and three in the Big Ten.
In June, Lucia spoke optimistically about next season, noting that last season's 20-17 team was relatively young.
The optimism continued into month, this time from Coyle, who told the Star Tribune that Lucia "was our hockey coach. He's our hockey coach, and it's my job to support him and we'll continue to do that."
