University of Nevada head women’s basketball coach Amanda Levens has signed a new five-year contract to coach the Wolf Pack through the 2022-23 season.
“The entire community took notice last year and watched what Coach Levens, her staff and team accomplished in the classroom, the community, on the court and in recruiting during her first year as head coach,” said Knuth. “This new contract reinforces our belief in Coach Levens and her effort to build the women’s basketball program into a championship program. Coach Levens is just getting started and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for this program.”
Levens’ contract is worth $1.09 million through the five years, making her the highest-paid coach of any women’s program in Nevada’s history. In this new five-year deal, Levens will earn $200,000 in year one, and receive an additional $10,000 each year until the salary caps at $230,000 for years four and five. Should Levens resign from her position at any time, the buyout is set at $50,000.
“I want to thank President Marc Johnson, Doug Knuth, Rhonda Bennett and the Board of Regents for their support and commitment to Nevada women’s basketball,” said Levens. “I believe we have all the resources necessary to build a successful women’s basketball program and I am excited for the opportunity to do it. My family and I have really enjoyed living in Northern Nevada and we are grateful to be part of such a supportive community.”
Levens had a great debut season as the Wolf Pack’s head coach and has Nevada trending upwards as she enters her second season at the helm. The Pack finished nonconference action, which included a visit from the nation’s No. 1 team in UConn, at 7-4, making Levens the first head coach in program history to post a winning nonconference record in their first season. Nevada won its final two games of the regular season, including a 20-point win over intrastate rival and co-regular season champion UNLV, to ride some momentum into the Mountain West Tournament.
Prior to the start of the tournament, former student-athlete Teige Zeller earned All-Mountain West honors under Levens’ guidance after posting a career season. Entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed, the Wolf Pack earned three consecutive thrilling victories to reach its first Mountain West Championship game and just its second ever conference title game. Nevada knocked off San Diego State in overtime in the opening round, then took down No. 2 UNLV in double overtime and No. 3 Wyoming by four points to square off against No. 1 Boise State in the championship. While the Pack lost to the Broncos on a last second buzzer beater, the tone has been set for the future.
Following the conference tournament, the Wolf Pack accepted a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) to make just its fourth postseason appearance and first since 2011. Nevada won two games during its WBI run, the most wins the program has had in a postseason tournament, to reach the semifinals.
Under Levens’ direction, Nevada finished the 2017-18 season with 19 wins, tied for the second most in program history and making Levens the winningest first year head coach. In addition to the win total, the conference championship game appearance, and postseason run, the Wolf Pack set multiple team records, including points, rebounds, field goals made and assists. Nevada finished the year in the top five in the Mountain West in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage, rebounding margin, assists and field goal percentage, just to name a few.
Photo Courtesy Nevada Athletics
https://nevadawolfpack.com/news/2018/9/24/womens-basketball-levens-signs-new-five-year-contract.aspx
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