SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Steve Alford loves New Mexico and New Mexico loves Steve Alford.
Those simple facts made Wednesday, the eve of the second round of the NCAA tournament, as good a time as any for the Lobos to announce they've given their coach a new, 10-year contract that could be worth up to $2 million a year counting base salary and bonuses.
The deal calls for Alford to be in Albuquerque through 2023.
With the third-seeded Lobos getting ready to play No. 14 Harvard on Thursday in a West regional game, Alford's contract was the hot topic in his day-before news conference.
Alford, who was directed to Albuquerque by his former coach, Bob Knight, is 155-51 over six years at New Mexico. The Lobos are in the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years and their 29 wins are second-most in school history. Alford won 30 in 2009-10.
"I think we have started to put our imprint on our program and we've got things in place to be successful," Alford said. "We have put a great product out there, won games, won championships and now we're trying to take that to another level."