Charlotte 49ers Head Coach Bobby Lutz will now be with the program through the 2012-2013 |
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Lutz Signs 5-Year Contract With 49ers
March 29, 2008
Charlotte, N.C. - UNC Charlotte Chancellor Dr. Philip Dubois has announced that head men's basketball coach Bobby Lutz has signed and the UNC Charlotte Board of Directors have approved a five-year contract that will keep the 49ers all-time winningest coach with the program through the 2012-2013 season.
"Working with Bobby, we have put together an innovative package that rewards him for success on the floor, academic accomplishment, strong scheduling and successful marketing," Dubois said. "I'm confident that Bobby will continue to build a program that all people in the Charlotte region can come to call their own. Bobby is `all in' and so are we."
"I'm excited about the extension and look forward to at least the next five years here at Charlotte," said Lutz, a 1980 UNC Charlotte graduate who has served as head coach for the last 10 years. "I am particularly happy to know that I will be coaching this returning group of players and feel like we have great things ahead of us. I'm very thankful to all our fans who have shown tremendous support through this processs and I'm obviously going to work incredibly hard to make them proud."
Lutz has guided the 49ers to eight post-season bids in his 10-year run as head coach, including five NCAA Tournament appearances. This past season, with four newcomers in the starting lineup, Charlotte went 20-14, placed 4th in the Atlantic 10, reached the A-10 Championship semifinals and advanced to the National Invitation Tournament. During the course of the season, Lutz became the 49ers all-time winningest coach, surpassing Jeff Mullins. Lutz owns a 188-126 record with the 49ers, averaging 18.8 wins per season. He has led the 49ers to three league titles and was one of 10 finalists for the 2005 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year Award. The 49ers advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005, won the Conference USA Tournament titles in 1999 and 2001 and grabbed a share of the Conference USA regular-season title in 2004. Charlotte has finished first or second in its league in three of the last five years. The 49ers have produced a USA Basketball U-21 World Championship team member, a National Freshman of the Year, an Academic all-America, an NBA Lottery pick, a Conference USA Player of the Year, 10 first-team alll-conference selections and seven all-conference tournament choices. Lutz has produced four top 20 recruiting classes, including the 2007-08 crop that was ranked a program-best 13th in the nation. Charlotte graduated 12 players between 2005-2007, including 2005 Conference USA Player of the Year Eddie Basden and three-time first-team all-conference choice Curtis Withers, who both graduated on time in four years. 2008 seniors Leemire Goldwire and Sean Phaler will both graduate in May. This year's team has the highest cumulative grade point average in the history of the program at 2.963, through the fall, 2007 semester.
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"I'm proud of what we've accomplished in the 10 years to date," Lutz said. "I look forward to continued growth both in terms of victories and post season play but also in continuing to graduate our players and run a first-class program on and off the court. I am proud of our success and want to do even more over the next few years and feel as though we are in good position to make that happpen. This extension puts me in a better position to end my coaching career at Charlotte which is what I've always wanted to do."
"I'm pleased to be where we are today and that we have reached an agreement with Bobby that he will lead our basketball program into 2013," said 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose. "I am confident that we will provide a quality team that is competive nationally and graduates our players under Bobby's guidance."
With the contract, Lutz will pass Mullins for the longest tenure among 49ers head men's basketball coaches. Mullins coached the 49ers for 11 seasons. Lutz will coach his 11th season in 2008-09.
