KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Kansas State rewarded basketball coach Bruce Weber for winning a share of the school's first conference championship in 36 years with a raise and a one-year contract extension Wednesday.
Weber's annual salary will increase by $250,000 to $1.75 million next season, and increase by $100,000 each of the remaining years on his original five-year deal. That means Weber will make $2.15 million for the 2017-18 season, the year that has been added to his contract.
"Whenever you have success, it is a direct reflection of your team and staff, and I have said all along we had great chemistry between our players and staff all year," Weber said. "I'm so proud to be associated with this group of players and coaches and I can't thank them enough."
Weber, who was hired to replace Frank Martin, went 27-8 in his first season in Manhattan. More important, he went 14-4 in the Big 12 and tied rival Kansas for a share of the championship. The fourth-seeded Wildcats were upset by No. 13 seed La Salle in the NCAA Tournament.
"Our men's basketball program, from top to bottom, has made continued improvement under Coach Weber and his staff since their arrival last April," said Currie, who moved quickly last March to hire Weber once he was fired from Illinois and Martin left for South Carolina. "I am extremely excited about the forward trajectory of our program under his leadership."
The Wildcats' 27 wins last season were the second-most in school history, and their 14 league wins matched the record set by the 1958-59 team. Their conference title was the 20th overall for the school, but the first for Kansas State since the 1977 team.
For all the success, though, the season ended in bitter disappointment.
The Wildcats earned the chance to play just two hours from campus at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. But they played a miserable first half against La Salle, and a second-half charge came up just short. Angel Rodriguez's floater at the buzzer missed everything in a 63-61 defeat.