Northern Kentucky University, Darrin Horn agree to contract extension
Fresh off a Horizon League tournament championship and a berth in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Northern Kentucky University head basketball coach Darrin Horn has agreed to a contract extension, the school announced Friday morning.
The new agreement will extend Horn's time in Highland Heights by two years to keep him at the helm of the Northern Kentucky University basketball program for four full seasons. The extension makes Horn the highest-paid coach in the Horizon League through June 30, 2027, with an additional year extension following the 2023-24 school year.
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"I'd like to thank Interim President Bonita Brown and VP of Athletics Christina Roybal for their belief and continued support of NKU men's basketball," Horn said in a press release. "There is great tradition here and I am excited about the shared vision with administration to continue to grow our program together as we serve our student-athletes and the NKU and Northern Kentucky communities."
Horn was named the head men's basketball coach at Northern Kentucky in 2019 and has led the Norse to a 79-45 overall record over the last four seasons. Horn's clubs have won two Horizon League Tournament championships, leading to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. The Norse fell to top-seeded Houston 62-53 in the first round of the tournament earlier this month.
In Horizon League play, Horn has gone 52-24 and has led the Norse to the Horizon League Championship game three times.
"Coach Horn has done a tremendous job leading our men's basketball program and we want him to continue to do so for many years to come," Roybal said. "He and his staff have lifted the program back to national prominence and the exposure the men's basketball program brings is not only important for our department, but also for the University and the entire region."
Prior to NKU, Horn was a head coach at Western Kentucky and South Carolina. He led the Hilltoppers, his alma mater, to the Sweet 16 in 2008 and posted a 111-48 overall record. With the Gamecocks, he went 60-63 and has a career head-coaching record of 250-156.
Horn was also an assistant at both Marquette and Texas. He was a four-year standout player at Western Kentucky, where he helped lead the program to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 run in 1993.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Darrin Horn, Northern Kentucky University agree to contract extension
