Nov. 19, 1999
By TIM WHITMIRE
AP Sports Writer
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) – Leading Kentucky to bowl eligibility for a secondstraight season earned coach Hal Mumme a two-year contract extension Friday.
The board of directors of the school’s athletic association voted to extendMumme’s $800,000-a-year contract through the end of 2005, replacing a deal thatpaid Mumme the same salary but would have expired at the end of 2003.
The move “represented a very strong commitment on the university of howpleased we are with the job that he and his staff have done, and at the sametime represents a very strong commitment on his part that he is going to behere,” Kentucky athletic director C.M. Newton said Friday evening.
The board’s vote came hours before Kentucky was to face No. 7 Tennessee inthe Wildcats’ final regular-season game. At 6-4, Kentucky is one of eightbowl-eligible Southeastern Conference teams in the running for seven guaranteedspots.
If the Wildcats receive a bid, it will the first time since 1983-84 thatthey have gone to consecutive bowls.
Last year’s 7-4 team, led by quarterback Tim Couch, lost to Penn State inthe Outback Bowl. It was the first New Year’s Day bowl appearance by Kentuckyin 47 years.
After losing Couch and star wideout Craig Yeast to the NFL, as well as theentire 1998 starting offensive line, expectations were lower this year.However, after losing their opener to Louisville 56-28 the Wildcats regroupedand qualified for postseason play with a win last weekend at Vanderbilt.
Mumme has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the head job at LSU,where Gerry DiNardo was fired earlier this week, but has said repeatedly heplans to stay at Kentucky.
Newton said he was not aware of Mumme being contacted about other jobs.
“I’m sure if these people who’ve got jobs open have any sense they’dcontact him,” he said.
Asked whether a two-year extension without a raise offered any realguarantee Mumme would stay, Newton said, “I don’t know what’s going to happentomorrow, but contractually he is protected and contractually he has made acommitment to be here. …
“We frontloaded Hal last year with dollars and we felt like that (raise)could and probably will come in the future.”
Among SEC coaches, Mumme’s pay trails only that of Florida’s Steve Spurrierand Tennessee’s Phillip Fulmer.
