Louisville baseball coach Dan McDonnell signs contract extension

Louisville baseball coach Dan McDonnell isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

The U of L Athletic Association has approved a new seven year contract extension for McDonnell with an option to extend the deal by one year after every season. The goal is to ensure that for as long as McDonnell wants to coach baseball, he’ll do so at Louisville.

“We talked to Dan last year when he was being approached by other schools, one in particular, and we worked quick to try to get something in place for him with the notion that we would look for something longer-term, for him to be our coach for life here,” Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra told WDRB. “And that’s what we did today, to try to get something in place that we are both in full agreement on, that he’ll remain here for the term of his career, which is nice for us and nice for Julie and Dan.”

McDonnell is the most successful coach in Louisville baseball history, and it isn’t close. When McDonnell arrived at U of L in 2007, the Cardinals had made the NCAA tournament just one time and had never won an NCAA tournament game. In the 12 years since, McDonnell has led Louisville to eight NCAA regional championships and five trips to the College World Series.

In addition to the McDonnell news, U of L also announced raises and extensions for women’s soccer coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes and swim and dive coach Arthur Albiero, as well as amendments to the contract of women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz.

“It’s awesome,” Walz said of the amendments Friday afternoon on 790-KRD. “It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for 13 years, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I’ve said it before, but I look forward to retiring here.”

Nice little Friday for U of L athletics.