DENVER - Metropolitan State University of Denver announced multi-year contracts for men's basketball coach Derrick Clark and women's basketball coach Tanya Haave on Monday. Both coaches have agreed to 3-year contracts with a university option for two additional years.

Both contracts have the opportunity for multiple bonuses, including reaching the NCAA Division II national championship game, winning the national championship, and their players' academic success. Both contracts also have an early termination penalty.

“The University could not be more pleased to offer multi-year contracts to coaches of both our men's and women's basketball teams,” MSU Denver President Dr. Stephen Jordan stated. “Both Coach Clark and Haave have developed programs of unbelievable quality, and these contracts are recognition of all their hard work. The University appreciates that both programs offer a balance of athletics and academics, and that the academics side encompasses a very rigid set of goals.”

“Tanya and Derrick have been at the center of the success of our two basketball programs during their three years here,” Director of Athletics Joan McDermott said. “We are pleased to be able to reward them for their success both on the court and in the classroom and this is something we have wanted to do for some time. Both have given our university invaluable exposure both locally and nationally.”

Clark is coming off one of the best seasons in the men's program's storied history, leading the Roadrunners to a 32-3 record and capturing the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as the South Central Region championship at the NCAA tournament. His team reached the national championship game for the fourth time in MSU Denver history. In three seasons he has a record of 79-18 (.814).

Off the court, his team has excelled as well. The men's basketball team earned a 3.13 grade point average last semester and had three student-athletes named first team academic all-RMAC. Additionally, Clark's team has boasted the RMAC academic player of the year each of the past two seasons with Jonathan Morse (Boulder, Colo./Fairview H.S.) winning it in 2012 and Mitch McCarron (Brisbane, Australia/Genesis Christian College) in 2013. Nicholas Kay (Tamworth, Australia/Newington College) earned both the Summit Award and the Elite 89 award, becoming the first MSU Denver student-athlete to earn either prestigious academic award.

“I feel very fortunate to be entrusted to continue moving our program forward,” Clark said. I would like to thank Dr. Jordan and Joan McDermott for having confidence in me and enabling me to sign a multi-year contract. I would also like to thank the many people that worked behind the scenes to make this happen. My family and I love Denver, and Metro State University is and will always be a special place. My staff and I look forward to the challenge of keeping Metro State basketball competitive nationally.”

Haave has led MSU Denver to its best three-year record in women's basketball program history, totaling a 78-17 (.821) mark. Her team has advanced to three consecutive NCAA tournaments for the first time in history, reaching the Elite Eight in 2011 and the regional championship in 2012. The Roadrunners won the conference championship in 2011 and 2012 as well. Despite graduating four key players from last season's team, including All-America guard Jasmine Cervantes (Johnstown, Colo./Berthoud H.S.), Haave's team went 21-10 in 2012-13, including 19-6 over the final 25 games.

Like Clark's team, Haave's women's team has been excellent in the classroom. During the fall semester this year, her team had the highest GPA of any MSU Denver athletics team at 3.41, including five student-athletes with GPA of 3.5 or better. Four players earned academic all-RMAC honors this season.

“I want to thank Dr. Jordan and Joan McDermott for the confidence in and commitment to the women's basketball program,” Haave said. “MSU Denver is a special place to work with tremendous leadership and I'm so grateful to be part of an institution where the student-athlete experience both on and off the floor is valued. I'm excited to be able to continue to build on our tradition of excellence at MSU Denver.”

MSU Denver is the only NCAA Division II institution to have both its men's and women's basketball teams advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament each of the past three seasons.