Fresno State football coach Tim DeRuyter and the university have agreed to terms on a new five-year contract that will make him the highest-paid coach in the Mountain West Conference, the university announcedMonday.
DeRuyter, entering his third year at Fresno State, will remain the Bulldogs’ coach through the 2018 season. The new deal, worth $7.5 million in base salary, pays $1.4 million in 2014 and increases in yearly increments of $500,000 before capping at $1.6 million during the final year of the contract.
“It’s very gratifying that Fresno State is pleased with the direction that the football program is headed and wants to show its commitment to our future,” DeRuyter said in a statement.
“I would like to thank our president, Dr. Joseph Castro, director of athletics Thomas Boeh, the Athletic Corporation and the administration for their support as our football staff and I continue to strive for championships and make the Valley proud of its team.”
DeRuyter, 51, took over as Fresno State’s head coach in December 2011 following a 4-9 season, one of the worst marks in program history that resulted in Pat Hill’s firing.
Under DeRuyter, the Bulldogs are 20-6 in two seasons and won back-to-back Mountain West championships — the most recent coming last season in the conference’s inaugural championship game.
The Bulldogs had the Football Bowl Subdivision’s top-ranked passing offense in 2013, averaging 394.8 yards per game through the air behind quarterback Derek Carr.
A defensive coordinator by trade, DeRuyter switched schemes from a 4-3 to 3-4 base formation on defense, tasked with turning around a unit that struggled to force takeaways. In his first year, the Bulldogs’ defense forced 35 turnovers (up from nine the previous year).
Fresno State finished 9-4 in 2012 and 11-2 in 2013. Bulldog Stadium was sold out for three games last season.
“The extraordinary success Coach DeRuyter and his staff have achieved over the past two seasons warrants these actions by the University,” Boeh said. “It is our hope that these mutual commitments foster greater stability as well as the continued progression of Fresno State football.”
DeRuyter, whose base salary was $650,000 his first two years, will also be able to make an estimated $500,000-$700,000 in performance incentives each season.
