Marquette University has signed a new five-year contract with head men’s basketball coach Steve Wojciechowski through the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign, Vice President & Director of Athletics Bill Scholl announced Tuesday afternoon.
“We are excited about the direction of our program and the progress it has made, both on and off the court, during Steve’s tenure,” Scholl said. “If you look at where the program was when he took over, it’s easy to see we are on the right path in terms of competitive success and what our players are accomplishing in the classroom and contributing in the community.
“The basketball program at Marquette is absolutely trending in the right direction, particularly evident the last three seasons as one of the top teams in the BIG EAST, and we are confident that will continue as we begin a new five-year commitment to Steve.”
In five seasons, Wojciechowski has led the Golden Eagles to a pair of NCAA tournament appearances (2017 and 2019) and a trip to the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals in 2018. MU has posted a trio of 20-win seasons during his tenure and he owns an overall record of 97-69.
The Golden Eagles finished 24-10 in 2018-19 and claimed second in the BIG EAST Conference. Only two teams (Villanova – two national title seasons - and Xavier) have won more league games over the course of the last three seasons. In over 100 years of basketball at Marquette, a total of 13 teams have claimed more than 24 victories in a single campaign, including just six since the national title squad in 1977.
“Under Steve’s leadership, the basketball team’s values have been aligned directly with those of Marquette, and his players and coaches have been excellent ambassadors for our university,” said President Michael Lovell. “Steve has been building an elite program since his first day at Marquette, and I know he’ll continue to do so for the benefit of our students, alumni and broader community.”
Marquette has developed into one of the nation’s elite offensive units under Wojciechowski’s guidance and a season ago was among the country’s most improved at the defensive end. MU’s roster featured a trio of all-conference honorees and the program’s first All-American (Markus Howard) since 2011-12 (Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder) and just its fourth consensus pick in school history.
“On behalf of our entire team, we are extremely grateful for the continued support of our program from Bill Scholl, Dr. Lovell and the Board of Trustees,” Wojciechowski said. “We have made significant progress over the last five years building a culture reflective of the University’s values and mission.
“There is still work to be done and our passionate, dedicated and deserving fans can be assured that our staff and players are working extremely hard on a daily basis to make sure their program is considered among the nation’s elite on a consistent basis,” Wojciechowski added.
Wojciechowski was named the program’s 17th head coach on April 1, 2014 and originally signed a six-year deal with the University. In December of 2015, Marquette announced an extension through the 2021-22 season.
The financial details of the contract extension won’t be disclosed by the University.
via Marquette Press Release
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