Wyoming signs head coach Craig Bohl to new 7-year contract

A Mountain West Coach of the Year award and a berth in the Mountain West title game was enough to get Craig Bohl a shiny new contract.

The Wyoming head coach inked a new seven-year deal with the school Friday, the deal extending his stay with the Cowboys through the 2023 season, the school announced on its website.

"When I hired Craig (Bohl) three years ago, I believed he was the best coach to turn around our football program," Wyoming athletic director Tom Burman said.

Bohl had two years remaining on his current contract, meaning the deal will add five more years to that span. The Cowboys bench boss has a collegiate coaching record of 118-54.

"What excites me most about this new contract is the opportunity to develop stability in our football program," Burman said. "... I believe Coach Bohl is going to be the head football coach at the University of Wyoming for the rest of his career."

Bohl's salary will begin at $1.4 million for the first year, and the new deal includes a buyout clause that begins at $6.5 million during the first season and declines as the contract wears on.

Wyoming takes on defending champion San Diego State for the Mountain West championship on Saturday. Wyoming has not appeared in a conference title game since a 28-25 overtime loss to BYU in the now-defunct Western Athletic Conference championship in 1996.