UL looking to extend Cajuns coach Marlin's contract
The Ragin’ Cajuns intend to extend the contact of UL basketball coach Bob Marlin, Cajuns athletic director Bryan Maggard told The Daily Advertiser.
Marlin, who just completed his eighth season in charge of the program, was named 2017-18 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.
His current deal with UL runs through the end of the 2019-20 season.
“We’re in the process of looking to extend his contract,” Maggard said with reference to Marlin, whose Cajuns open their summer practice period Tuesday.
“Nothing has been finalized or approved yet,” the UL A.D. added. “But we certainly will do something to address the successes of the season that he had.”
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Marlin’s contract was last rewritten in 2015, when he agreed to a five-year, $2.5 million deal that includes $455,000 annually in base pay (including school and Ragin’ Cajuns Athletic Foundation funds) before bonus incentives.
“I am privileged and honored to be the head basketball coach of the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns," Marlin said in a statement sent Monday to The Daily Advertiser. "Our coaches, staff, and players are striving to make a difference on campus and in Acadiana, as well as win more championships. I appreciate the commitment and continued support of our President, Dr. Joseph Savoie, and Director of Athletics, Dr. Bryan Maggard.”
UL finished the 2017-18 season with a school-record number of wins at 27-7 overall, including 16-2 in regular-season Sun Belt Conference play with an SBC regular-season championship.
The Cajuns were knocked out of the Sun Belt Tournament in New Orleans, however, and failed to make the NCAA Tournament field.
They instead played in the NIT as a conference champ that didn’t qualify for the NCAA tourney, and ended their season with an 84-76 first-round NIT loss to LSU in Baton Rouge.
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In addition to SBC Coach of the Year, Marlin was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s state Coach of the Year, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches’ state Coach of the Year and the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ All-District 24 Coach of the Year.
He also was named as a finalist for two national coaching honors, the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year and the Skip Prosser Man of the Year awards.
“Coach Marlin obviously had a fantastic year … bringing home a conference championship,” Maggard said.
“Certainly we always desire to get to NCAA Tournament play. Fell short of that. But, to me, that should not shadow the successes we had as a basketball program overall.”
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Three Cajun players wound up with multiple postseason honors as well:
* Seniors Frank Bartley IV and Bryce Washington were named to the All-Sun Belt first team;
* Junior JaKeenan Gant, a transfer from Missouri, was named Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year;
* Bartley was named as the LSWA’s and LABC’s state Player of the Year, and was named to the USBWA All-District VII team and LSWA All-Louisiana first team
* Washington was named to the Lou Henson mid-major All-America team;
* Gant was named to CollegeInsider.com’s Defensive and Transfer All-American teams; and
* Bartley, Washington and Gant all were named to the NABC All-District 24 team.