Keeping your best pieces in any athletic program is a challenge, but one new AD Dave Heeke welcomes, as he extends Jay Johnson’s contract through 2022.
Former athletic director Greg Byrne and the Arizona Baseball team hit the proverbial jackpot when they hired Jay Johnson from Nevada just two years ago.
It’s hard to replace one hall of fame coach, let alone two, but early on it seems Arizona is in a great position moving forward, with Johnson in charge.
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Now two years into his tenure with the Wildcats, and the young skipper has gone a collective 87-45 (32-28), with back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament, and a College World Series runner-up finish.
So far, Johnson has proven he has a great eye for baseball talent, and he also does a fantastic job at developing, and getting the most out of his players.
That’s always what you hope you’re getting in a division one coach, and Johnson does exactly that. It’s also what other programs look for too, so staying competitive, and keeping your top coaches can be a challenge with higher bidding schools calling.
On Tuesday, the University of Arizona made a statement that coach Jay Johnson isn’t going anywhere, well, at least until 2022. The school announced that head coach Johnson’s contract will be extended and that his base salary will rise significantly.
If you liked the first 2 years of @UACoachJ, how bout 5 more?
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) August 15, 2017
We're excited to announce a 5-yr extension for Coach: https://t.co/NfkR4gy0fj pic.twitter.com/C7WmFuXDmA
Great move Dave Heeke! With the extension and salary bump, Johnson’s pay becomes much more competitive in comparison to some of the big time programs.
However, for reference sake, Florida’s Kevin O’Sullivan and TCU’s Jim Schlossnagle make $1.25 and $1.4 million annually. They are among college baseball’s highest paid coaches.
With the way Johnson continues to build on Arizona’s already strong reputation as a baseball program, perhaps an even bigger pay-day could be coming for him here in Tucson. After all, since his arrival and Arizona’s move to Hi-Corbett in 2012, the attendance has been strong. I’m sure the beer sold at games also helps that, too!
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At Zona Zealots, we would like to congratulate Johnson on the contract extension and are happy that coach is going to be around for a while! Bear Down, Arizona!