FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)- Only one season into his tenure as Arkansas womens basketball coach Jimmy Dykes is receiving a contract extension. Dykes signed a two year extension that now runs through March 2020, it was announced by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long on Thursday.
In his first season as the Razorbacks’ head coach, Dykes guided Arkansas to an 18-win season, including a win in the first round of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament, helping the Razorbacks earn their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2013. Arkansas upset No. 22 Northwestern and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Dykes was hired by the University of Arkansas in March 2014 and his original four-year employment agreement extended through 2018.
“Jimmy has done a tremendous job in leading all aspects of our women’s basketball program,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “Last season we not only enjoyed competitive success, but made significant progress in building a comprehensive program committed to the development of our women’s basketball student-athletes to their fullest potential. Jimmy has the passion, knowledge and drive to help position Arkansas as one of the top women’s basketball programs in the nation.”
“First, I would like to thank Jeff Long and Chancellor Gearhart for their support and votes of confidence,” Dykes said. “It is a tremendous blessing for me and my family that I get to coach at my alma mater and live in a place that we love so much. I’m excited about the future of Razorback women’s basketball and Razorback Athletics and I look forward to the things that we can accomplish in the coming years. Our recruits and their families know that I will be at Arkansas for the long-term future and that if you want to be a part of something special, this is the place to be.”
Arkansas saw a nearly 29 percent increase in attendance last season from the previous season and the average was the highest since 2007-08.
