San Diego State University has announced that basketball coach Steve Fisher has signed a new three-year extension to remain at the school. The announcement was first reported by Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune and by Bernie Wilson of the Associated Press, via Twitter.
Fisher, who turns 70 in March, has rebuilt the San Diego State program from one of the worst in Division I, to arguably the most successful college basketball program on the West Coast.
The financial terms were not disclosed, but Fisher is expected to get a raise from the current $900,000 he currently earns. Zeigler’s report also states that Fisher’s contract will have five-percent annual raises, much like Fisher’s current contract.
Some believed that Fisher might retire after the season, but that does not seem to be the case now. Despite the three-year length of the deal, Fisher will still evaluate his status to coach on a year-to-year basis. There are no penalties if Fisher chooses to retire and walk away from the deal. The extension should also help SDSU with recruiting, as it presents the fact that Coach Fisher will be in San Diego for the foreseeable future.
San Diego State assistant coach Brian Dutcher is the “head coach in-waiting,” meaning he will take over the program when Fisher decides to hang up the white board. While there are no reports of Dutcher’s status, he is still expected to take over the program in the not too distant future.
Fisher is in his 16th year at Montezuma Mesa, and has compiled a record of 314-176, with seven NCAA tournament berths and two Sweet Sixteen appearances in his time with the Aztecs.