Nebraska Cornhuskers Define Near Future with Tim Miles Contract Extension

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have extended the contract of head basketball coach Tim Miles, it was announced on Wednesday. Miles’ new deal will keep him on the sidelines in Lincoln through the 2019-2020 season and will increase his annual salary to $2 million.

Miles came to Nebraska from Colorado State in 2012. Through three seasons at the helm of the Nebraska program, Miles is 47-49 overall, including a 19-13 season in 2014 that earned the Huskers an NCAA Tournament invitation, which was just the seventh such invitation in school history and the first since 1998.

However, the timing of the extension is curious after Nebraska had a disappointing 13-18 season in 2015, including a nine-game losing streak to close the campaign.

The Nebraska administration is hoping that continuity can bring success to the program that has never won an NCAA Tournament game (0-7 all-time). They also hope that Miles can build the program like he has done in his previous positions at Colorado State, North Dakota State and Southwest Minnesota State.

Nebraska is not likely to become a powerhouse in the Big Ten or an annual competitor for an NCAA Tournament bid. But if Miles can keep his team in the Big Ten race and get to the NCAA or NIT, he could be around in Lincoln for a while.

The Huskers do return Shavon Shields next season, which will be a big boost to the program. Shields averaged 15.4 points and six rebounds per game last season. And Miles assembled a quality recruiting class that will help replace three starters who left the team.

Nebraska is putting its faith in Miles, and the new contract is a reflection of that fact.

Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.