Colorado State extends Larry Eustachy's contract one year, to 2019-20

Welcome to the future.

2020 sounds like so far away, doesn’t it?

Well, for Larry Eustachy, his 2020 vision should be on the contract extension he just inked with Colorado State University.

Eustachy, who has led his Colorado State Rams men’s basketball team to a 5-3 start to this season, is in his fourth year with the green and gold and will be in Fort Collins as the head coach for another four seasons, the school announced Tuesday evening. The contract could be extended one more season, to 2020-21, as laid out in the original contract, which hired him on April 12, 2012.

In two of his first three full seasons, Eustachy has led the team to a school record in wins; 26 in 2012-13 and then 27 last season. He also pushed the team to their first Top 25 ranking in decades and has accomplished that feat twice, too.

“We are excited that Coach Eustachy will be with us through the 2019-20 season,” Colorado State athletic director Joe Parker said “He has grown the program and put it even more prominently on the national stage. He has also worked hard on the student-athlete success off the floor, showing that commitment to the entire well-being of his team. We look forward to continued success under Coach’s guidance.”

Eustachy has always been a fiery leader on the court for CSU as well as any team he’s coached. Despite being in the game for 25 years and nearing his 500th victory, Eustachy is still always worth the price of admission alone. His on-the-court antics of yelling at both referees and players alike leave fans guessing what will happen next and he’s certainly one of the most entertaining coaches in all of college basketball.

In the loss to the Long Beach State 49ers two weeks ago, Eustachy tripped a player in probably the wildest moment since he’s been the head coach at Colorado State. It was unintentional, as Eustachy explained post game, and he decided to give the 49ers the ball back. They then hit a 3-pointer as the first half buzzer sounded, creating a swing in the momentum and score.

That incident was Eustachy in a nutshell; he’s a different kind of dude who makes it fun for all involved.

“As I have said on many occasions, this is where I want to finish my career,” Eustachy said. “We have had success here in the first several years, and we have outstanding support from our University, administration, athletic department and fans. I am extremely optimistic about the future of this program and excited about where we can go and what we can do.”

Per the school’s release, Eustachy’s current agreement has bonuses for team performance, including $40,000 for winning 20 games in a season, $100,000 for capturing the Mountain West Conference championship, and $200,000 if the Rams earn a bid to the NCAA tournament. There are also bonuses and salary increases if Eustachy leads CSU to the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4, or wins the National Championship.

He’s led the Rams to a 45-8 home mark at Moby Arena, which included a 16-1 home record in 2012-13. That season, which was likely the best in school history, included a 26-9 overall record, an NCAA Tournament berth and one win as well as a home attendance average of 5,440 per game, most since 1997-98.

Eustachy wants to finish his career at Colorado State, and it seems some fans would like that as well.