The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga basketball teams experienced high levels of success during their 2015-16 seasons, each qualifying for its respective NCAA tournament.
Thursday, the university rewarded the head coaches overseeing that success.
Men's coach Matt McCall and women's coach Jim Foster had their contacts extended to expire after the 2021-22 season. That gave a two-year extension to McCall while one year was added to Foster's.
UTC was one of 24 schools to have both its men's and women's basketball programs reach the NCAA Division I tournaments. It was one of eight that won both men's and women's conference tournaments and one of 12 to put both basketball teams in the NCAA tournaments and have their football teams go to playoffs or bowl games.
"Coach Foster and Coach McCall could be a number of places around the nation. We're thankful they're in Chattanooga," UTC vice chancellor and athletic director David Blackburn said. "We try to appreciate every day and every moment, knowing that's not something they have to do but something they want and we want, so we're grateful they're here.
"They both had tremendous years, so we're thankful they're coming back for next year."
McCall's Mocs were 29-5 in his first season at UTC, claiming 10 wins over teams that played in postseason tournaments. His base salary of $180,000 remains the same, but the 34-year-old coach received a $12,000 raise in additional pay from $40,000 to $52,000 for a total compensation of $232,000 per season.
His buyout remains the same, de-escalating after each season.
"I want to thank David Blackburn and the entire staff, just for the opportunity given to me a year ago to be here," McCall said. "This job, these players, this situation, I couldn't have asked for a better situation for me and my family. We're excited; I'd like to thank the players, first and foremost, as well as David and his staff and Dr. (Steve) Angle (the chancellor), for the opportunity we had and the season we had.
"Our staff getting a contract extension is a direct reflection of what the players did, too. Those guys need to be thanked, and I'm thankful for each and every one of them."
Foster led the UTC women to a 24-8 mark last season, culminating in the program's third consecutive Southern Conference championship and third NCAA tournament bid under his guidance. The Hall of Fame coach is a combined 82-16 in his three seasons, with an impressive 46-2 mark in conference play.
His base salary remains at $147,000 with an additional $53,000, which was a bump from $35,000 for a total of $200,000. He spoke Thursday of the improvements made on UTC's campus, with upgrades to the coaches' offices and new buildings being constructed.
"We used to have to figure out a way not to go to the offices when we had recruits on campus. Now we bring them right to the offices, so that's a good thing," Foster said. "I thought when I got here, this school had a lot of potential in a lot of different areas, and visually this is becoming a beautiful campus, and it will do nothing but improve from what I can see."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.