Eastern Kentucky coach Jeff Neubauer agrees to contract extension

Published May. 6, 2014 3:01 a.m. ET

foxsports

Eastern Kentucky and coach Jeff Neubauer have agreed in principle to a contract extension through 2018 following the Colonels' first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007.

Neubauer led EKU (24-10) to the Ohio Valley Conference tournament title and the school's eighth NCAA appearance. The 15th-seeded Colonels led No. 2 seed Kansas with nine minutes remaining and were within five with 2:28 left before losing 80-69.

EKU finished with the second-most wins in program history, highlighted by three victories in as many nights to claim the OVC championship. Neubauer is 167-122 in nine seasons and is 47 wins away from tying career leader Paul S. McBrayer.

EKU president Michael Benson praised Neubauer's on-court success in a release but called the program's 90 percent graduation rate "the most important statistic."