New Mexico's Alford gets extension

Apr 1, 2008 - 1:35 AM ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Ticker) -- After a big turnaround, Steve Alford was given a sizeable commitment.

New Mexico announced that Alford had agreed to a three-year contract extension Monday that will run through the 2015-16 season.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed for Alford, who recently finished the first year of his initial six-year contract.

"This shows our commitment to Coach Alford and his commitment to the University of New Mexico," New Mexico vice president for athletics Paul Krebs said. "He is going to be our coach for the foreseeable future and we are very excited with the direction of our basketball program."

Deciding to leave Iowa to join the Lobos, Alford guided New Mexico to a 24-9 record, including a 11-5 mark in the Mountain West Conference. The win total tied a school record, as did the team's eight road wins.

The Lobos also made an appearance in postseason play for the first time in four years, losing to California in the first round of the NIT.

Alford's first season was a huge improvement over the Lobos' 15-17 campaign from the season before, including a 4-12 showing in league play.

"With the upcoming renovations to The Pit and our success in year one, we are well on our way to making Lobo basketball a big-time program," Alford said.

In 13 seasons as a coach with Missouri State, Iowa and New Mexico, Alford has a 254-163 record with four appearances in the NCAA Tournament.