Women’s basketball head coach Matthew Mitchell received a five-year contract extension worth $3 million, plus additional performance-based incentives, Thursday. Mitchell’s deal is worth $600,000 annually, and if the UK coach reaches certain performance measures, the deal could be worth much more.First of all, congratulations to Mitchell and his family for a well-deserved contract extension. If anybody deserved a new deal in the athletics department after last year’s magical Elite Eight run, it was Mitchell.With all that said, the most important part of the contract extension that I wanted to point out was the automatic rollover clause.In the language of the deal, the contract states that “As of April 22 of each year thereafter the term of this Contract shall be continually extended by one additional year such that the term is a constant five year term, unless written notice is given on or before April 21st of the applicable year, or this Contract is terminated as set forth in Section 7. Either party may provide such notice.”In layman’s terms, that means Mitchell’s contract is an ongoing five-year deal. When this year ends, his five-year deal will automatically start over again. And when 2011 is over, just like that, the five-year deal starts over again.The rollover deal’s importance cannot be overstated. Not only does the rollover term ensure the coach stability at a program, it’s significant for recruiting. When prospective student-athletes look at a college or sign with a team, often times they’re going there because of the coach. Recruits want to be ensured that, when they sign on the dotted line of the national letter of intent, they’re signing up to play for that same coach for their entire careers.With the rollover clause in Mitchell’s contract, he can now ensure recruits that, barring termination or resignation, he will be at Kentucky from the first day of their career to the last.It was an important part of Bob Huggins’ deal at Cincinnati that, when terminated, led to the ugly divorce in the Queen City. When Huggins’ rollover year was not granted by then-President Nancy Zimpher, Huggins felt like his recruiting hands were tied. Without the ability to ensure recruits he would be at Cincinnati in four or five years, Huggins said he could no longer recruit.As long as Mitchell has the rollover clause in his contract, that should not be a problem in Mitchell’s case. Recruiting should no doubt benefit from Mitchell’s new contract.