Tulsa Extends Kragthorpe's Contract Thru 2011

[MrMustang1965]

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Tulsa extended the contract of coach Steve Kragthorpe on Monday, a deal that runs through the 2011 season.

Kragthorpe led the Golden Hurricane to their first conference title in two decades last season and is 21-17 at Tulsa with two bowl appearances in three seasons.

Tulsa went 9-4 and won the Conference USA title in 2005 before beating Fresno State in the Liberty Bowl.

"There's no doubt that I'm very happy at the University of Tulsa. I think it's an ideal situation when you look at the things that are important to me," Kragthorpe told The Associated Press by phone on Monday. "It's a great place to work, it's a great place for my family to live and we're a program that again I think is continuing to improve on a daily basis."

The former quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills signed a six-year contract extension before last season, and this deal adds one additional year. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but athletic director Bubba Cunningham said it included a financial incentive if Kragthorpe remained at the school through the end of the contract.

Kragthorpe was mentioned as a possible candidate for several coaching jobs last season and went as far as issuing a statement that he was not interested in Colorado's vacancy.

Tulsa had one winning season in the 16 seasons before Kragthorpe arrived in 2003.

[smu diamond m]

And to think I went all the way to Tulsa to lose by a striped shirt.