University of Minnesota officials are expected to offer men's basketball coach Tubby Smith a multiyear contract extension by the end of April, a university source said Monday. The deal could be finalized before the new athletic director takes office.
Smith has two seasons remaining on his current deal that pays him about $1.8 million annually. The financial details of the extension are unknown, but school officials broached contract discussions with Smith's agent after the Gophers' loss to Stanford in the NIT championship game last week.
The timing is noteworthy because the school is in the process of hiring a new athletic director to replace Joel Maturi, who will depart June 30. Contract talks for Smith were put on hold until after the season because of the uncertainty with the athletic director and the fact that Eric Kaler was still new to his job as university president.
The Gophers had a disappointing regular season before advancing to the NIT final. Smith has campaigned for a new practice facility in recent years, but it's unclear if that subject will be part of upcoming contract discussions.
