Lincoln – University of Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson announced on Monday that he has extended the contract of baseball coach Mike Anderson through the 2010 season.

Anderson, who was under a four-year deal signed in 2004, will receive a base salary of $200,000 plus incentives over the next five seasons.  The package includes income from radio and television packages plus adidas compensation.

“Mike Anderson has taken Nebraska baseball to another level during his short time as head coach,” Pederson said. “This contract is a clear message to his players and future recruits that Coach Anderson will be leading this program for a long time.  We are excited to reward his hard work with a strong commitment from the University.”

“I’m excited about the opportunity to continue with the great environment of Nebraska Athletics and the University of Nebraska,” Mike Anderson said. “The culture and environment that Steve Pederson and Chancellor Harvey Perlman are creating makes it an exciting time, not only for Nebraska baseball, but our entire athletic department.”

Anderson recently finished his third year as head coach of the Husker baseball program, guiding the Huskers to their most successful season in school history in 2005. Nebraska compiled a 57-15 record and advanced to the College World Series for the third time in five seasons.  The 2005 Huskers also became the first team in school history to record a victory at the College World Series, while the 57 wins led the nation and easily broke the previous school mark of 51 set in 2001. The Huskers finished fifth in the final Baseball America poll, a publication that had Nebraska 50th in its preseason issue.

A finalist for National Coach–of-the-Year honors by Collegebaseballinsider.com, Anderson was selected as the Big 12 Coach of the Year, guiding NU to a sweep of the regular season and tournament titles. The Huskers had three All-Americans, led by consensus national player of the year Alex Gordon, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 MLB Draft. Gordon led a contingent of 11 players who brought home All-Big 12 accolades this past season, including four first-team selections.

Anderson’s commitment to success also extends to the classroom, as five players were named to the academic All-Big 12 team, including four first-team honorees. Daniel Bruce was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America team, bringing the number of academic All-America honorees to nine over the past nine seasons.

Anderson, 40, has a record of 140-56 in his three years at Nebraska, leading the Huskers to Big 12 regular-season titles in 2003 and 2005. A two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, Anderson has been a part of three of Nebraska’s regular-season conference titles, serving as an assistant on the 2001 team before piloting the Huskers’ last two conference title teams.

Since joining the Nebraska staff in the fall of 1994, he has coached a total of 19 first-team all-conference honorees, while 25 of his former players have signed pro contracts, a number that will climb when Gordon officially joins the Kansas City Royals organization.  Anderson has coached seven players who have reached the Major Leagues, as three of his former protégés – Dan Johnson (Oakland Athletics), Adam Shabala (San Francisco Giants) and Adam Stern (Boston Red Sox) have already made their Major League debuts in 2005.