Loyola basketball coach Jimmy Patsos has signed a contract extension with the school, a source familiar with the program said.
Patsos took the Greyhounds to their first NCAA tournament since 1994 this season and only the second in school history. Loyola capped a 24-9 season with a 78-59 loss to second-seeded Ohio State on March 15. The Buckeyes have since advanced to the Final Four.
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“I’m ecstatic,” Patsos said. “I like it here. I wanted to be here. Just because you win doesn’t mean it’s done. You have to keep building. I love the school. It’s great. I’m very grateful.”
A source said Patsos’ deal was extended by five years.
The former Maryland assistant is 122-123 in eight seasons at the Baltimore school after inheriting a program that went 1-27 the year before his arrival and required a complete reconstruction. The Greyhounds’ 24 victories this season were their most since a 25-win season in 1948-49.
Loyola, which won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament as the No. 2 seed, returns four starters and seven of eight players who averaged at least 10 minutes next season.
The extension for Patsos, the MAAC’s second-longest tenured coach, only adds to Loyola’s stability.
“It helps your recruiting,” Patsos said. “You can tell people you’re going to coach their kids. In the business of recruiting, we’ve been successful transfers. I don’t want a transfer who’s already probably had a bad experience to have another. I like it from a recruiting standpoint. I like coaching and I love Baltimore. This is a good thing. You want to stay. We’re building a program, and we want to keep building this program.”
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