A 4-year extension for BYU's Rose

PROVO — BYU basketball coach Dave Rose found out, just like football coach Bronco Mendenhall did three months ago, his employer is willing to reward coaches who deliver success.

On Monday, BYU announced it gave Rose, the two-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, a new contract, enacting an attractive raise and incentive to keep him in the fold through the 2010-2011 season. The new deal comes two years into the pact Rose worked under since BYU hired him in 2005.

"It's a great opportunity for me, and I'm excited for this," said Rose, who indicated he believes BYU stepped up to make his situation rewarding in light of the direction the program has taken.

"I feel very, very good about our contract. Our athletic and school administration has been extremely fair, and I'm excited to got to work," said Rose.

"Dave has done an excellent job of guiding our men's basketball program since his appointment as head coach," athletic director Tom Holmoe said. "His passion and leadership, I believe, are reflected in the teams he coaches and the success they have on and off the court. Dave and his staff are establishing a strong foundation for BYU basketball now and into the future."

While details of Rose's contract are not available, a group of boosters involved in "The Coaches Circle" have committed money to an escrow account that ensures BYU's ability to deal with salary issues and supplement the regular university compensation scale for Rose and Mendenhall.

When asked if he'd be at BYU past his new contract, Rose said he is very happy at BYU but added he's in a job where success determines the future. One of his goals is to get the Cougars an NCAA tournament win. "We'd like our players to experience that."

Rose, who met with reporters following Monday's practice, said this year's team is just learning how to practice, a challenge for the new players. "This is a different setting for the high school and junior college players, and over the eight practices we've had so far, they are making the transition to practice how we expect it to be done."

Under Rose, the Cougars have registered back-to-back 20-win seasons and the first national ranking in 14 years.

Rose replaced his boss, Steve Cleveland, in April 2005 after Cleveland accepted the Fresno State job.

In his first season, Rose took the 2005-06 squad picked to finish last in the MWC to a second-place finish and a 20-9 mark. This past season the Cougars finished first in the league at 13-3 and 25-9 overall.