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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Boise State took steps Friday morning to ensure that coach Chris Petersen sticks around for a while by announcing an agreement on a five-year contract extension.Moments after Petersen declined to give details on a contract extension to reporters, the Boise State coach, athletic driector Gene Bleymaier and university president Bob Kursta announced the new deal that will keep the successful coach around five more years. The Broncos are in Arizona to face TCU in Monday night's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, marking the second appearance in a BCS game in four years for the Western Athletic Conference school, both under Petersen.
Petersen is 48-4 in four years on the job and his lone loss in the last two years was a 17-16 loss to TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl.
Bleymaier confirmed that the three agreed to the new deal last week and now are waiting to present the extension to the Idaho State Board of Education for its approval. Details of the contract were not released Friday, but Petersen did say the extension also includes added money for his assistant coaches. Petersen signed a $4.5 million deal over five years after the 2007 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma.
"This is something that obviously we've been working on for quite a while with Coach Petersen," Bleymaier said. "We are just thrilled that we're able to come to terms and reach agreement on this new contract. We would like to think that Coach Petersen will be with us at Boise State throughout his career in coaching."
Each year, Petersen's name comes up for bigger jobs such as UCLA and Texas A&M but he has remained loyal to the Broncos program and the Boise community.
"I really feel I'm blessed to be here and very appreciative," Petersen said.
The extension certainly seems to show commitment on both sides, though all parties were vague about the possibility of a buyout clause in the new deal. Blaymaier even made an awkward comment comparing the ending of slavery to a buyout clause, but the thing that is for sure is he seems pleased to have warded off suitors for this offseason, at least.
"It is a number one priority," Blaymaier said of locking up Petersen. "The recruiting season is in high gear right now, and we don't want any questions about who's going to be heading up this program, not only the top but the whole staff."
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