Mac is back for four more years

Weber State University Head Football Coach Ron McBride will return to WSU next season, after signing a four-year contract extension Tuesday morning. "I'm happy to be here," McBride said, "and I just want to be here with the kids I recruited here and see if we can keep the program stable and keep moving forward." McBride, who turned 69 last month, has led the Wildcats to their best start in school history this season. The 'Cats, who are ranked No. 9 nationally, are 6-0 and one win away from clinching at least a share of the Big Sky Conference championship. The success on the field was one factor weighing into WSU's decision to keep McBride on, but there were a number of other factors as well. Since being put on academic probation by the NCAA following last season, WSU administration has said they are pleased with the academic improvement from the team. "We look for a coach that focuses on helping student athletes," said WSU President F. Ann Millner, "and supporting them academically, and that they can go on from here to pursue professions." However, Millner also went on to say the school wants a coach "who can build a team that can be competitive. We like to win at Weber State." The timing of the extension was a bit unusual, considering the university usually reserves contract negotiations for the offseason. To stay focused on the season at hand, all of McBride's contract negotiations were handled by his daughter ,who acts as his agent. "It's rather evident that to help in the process and ensure future recruiting and some of those issues that sometimes weigh on coaches and/or teams and staffs, we felt to address it at this time," said WSU Athletic Director Jerry Graybeal. With recruiting season in full-swing, Graybeal said to have McBride under contract for four more years sends a message to prospective student athletes, that this program is committed to success. McBride announced a couple of weeks ago that contract talks had been underway. The only other thing he said about the negotiations was he really wanted to be back next season. "Coach has obviously been pretty adamant that he'd like to continue to coach here to finish up what he started," Graybeal said. The details of McBride's contract won't be disclosed until next week, other than the fact that the contract will be for four years. McBride made $113,840 last season, including bonuses. It's expected that he'll be receiving a raise from that amount. In comparison, Utah State University Head Football Coach Brent Guy makes $230,005 a year. University of Utah Head Football Coach Kyle Whittingham makes $703,737. Under contract into his 73rd birthday, McBride has no qualms with his physical health. "I wouldn't have signed the contract if I didn't feel good and was looking forward to doing it," McBride said. "If I felt any other way, I wouldn't have signed it."

Jessica Schreifels contributed to this story.