UNM, women's basketball coach Bradbury agree on contract extension

[caption id="attachment_2598146" align="aligncenter" width="640"] UNM women's basketball head coach Mike Bradbury, shown during the Lobos' home game this past season vs. UNLV, has agreed to a contract extension through the 2027-28 season. (Chancey Bush/Albuquerque Journal)[/caption]

Mike Bradbury did not know much about Albuquerque when he arrived in 2016, but he's made himself at home. That status doesn't figure to change anytime soon after the University of New Mexico women's basketball coach agreed to a three-year contract extension that would keep him with the Lobos through the 2027-28 season. The extension, which does not include a salary increase, was announced Thursday. Bradbury has compiled a 141-78 record over seven seasons at UNM. He laughed when asked if he ever expected to spend what could extend to 12 years or more in New Mexico. "You never know for sure," Bradbury said, "but, yeah, 12 years is a long time in this profession. But I feel good about it. We've had success and have put ourselves in position to have more – and my family's comfortable here and family is important." Bradbury will complete the terms of his previous contract, which was scheduled to pay him a base salary of $275,000 next season increasing to $280,000 in 2024-25. The extension will extend the $280,000 salary for three more seasons through 2027-28. His contract includes several bonuses and incentives similar to those in UNM men's basketball coach Richard Pitino's contract (though of lesser dollar amounts). Bradbury receives an annual $25,000 bonus for media obligations, retention bonuses of $60,000 after years two and five and various incentives for wins over Top-100 NET teams, conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances and wins. Bradbury led the Lobos to a memorable Mountain West regular-season championship during the pandemic season of 2020-21 – when UNM played all but its final two regular-season games on the road. It was the program's first outright regular-season league title. Bradbury has yet to capture a conference tournament title or taken the Lobos to an NCAA Tournament, but UNM athletic director Eddie Nuñez believes Bradbury has the pieces are in place to reach the next level. "The fact is Mike's done a heck of a job," Nuñez said. "We all want to do better and be in the NCAAs and win conference championships. Mike and I want that, too. But he's won a championship and has us competing in the top third of the league and competing for the top spot. He wants to be here, he wants to win and I'm confident he can lead us to more championships. That's why I'm extending him." Bradbury expressed similar feelings. "That's the goal," he said, "to continue to win at the rate we have and to try to get more championships, regular season and conference tournament. The landscape has definitely changed since we got here, with NIL and the transfer portal, but we've adapted and stayed competitive. I feel like with the kids we've got coming in, that will continue." Bradbury will surpass Doug Hoselton this season for the second-longest tenure by a UNM women's coach behind Don Flanagan (16 seasons). Bradbury already trails only Flanagan in wins (340). The Lobos have posted four 20-win seasons during Bradbury's tenure, including each of the past two campaigns. UNM has a 77-45 record in Mountain West competition under Bradbury and has made five WNIT appearances in his seven seasons. By season Mike Bradbury's UNM coaching record: Overall MWC Postseason 2016-17 15-15 10-8 none 2017-18 25-11 10-8 WNIT 2018-19 24-7 14-4 WNIT 2019-20 15-17 6-12 none 2020-21 15-5 11-3* WNIT 2021-22 26-10 14-4 WNIT 2022-23 21-13 12-6 WNIT *Regular-season champion

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