MLS commissioner Don Garber signs extension through 2018; says he's cancer-free

Don Garber is set to be the commissioner of Major League Soccer through 2018 after signing a five-year extension, according to Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

The deal was completed in January and his tenure will extend to 20 years in charge of the league by the conclusion of his new contract.

“It’s the first five-year deal I’ve signed in 15 years. Every other deal was a three-year deal,” Garber said. "I had always been of the mind that you sign three-year deals so you can give everybody the flexibility to determine what you want to do. The league was younger and less mature. Now we’re teeing up a long-term commitment to each other.”

Adding to the good news, Garber also revealed that he is now cancer-free after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in April, and that he will not need to undergo further treatment for the disease following surgery in July.

“I’m feeling good,” he said. “I took a break during the month of August that allowed me to effectively recover. Now I’m back in the saddle and energized.”

Garber, 56, became the second commissioner in MLS history when he was appointed in Aug. 1999, three-and-a-half years after the league's inaugural season.