Steve Wojciechowski, Marquette Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Reaction

Marquette and head basketball coach Steve Wojciechowski have agreed to a contract extension that will keep the 39-year-old with the school through the 2021-22 season.  

Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, citing the school, reported the news Tuesday. Wojciechowski is in his second season at Marquette. The Golden Eagles are 23-21 during his tenure, including a 10-2 mark so far this season. 

“I am extremely grateful for the support the University provides our program on a daily basis,” Wojciechowski said in a statement on the university's official website. “It’s a team effort, on and off the court, and the belief in what we are building is tremendous and will play a key role in keeping Marquette among the elite programs in the country.”

The Golden Eagles' run has been a bit of a surprise after Wojciechowski won just 13 games during his first season on the bench. Marquette had not had a losing season since 1998-99 before Wojciechowski's arrival, though part of his issues were due to the sudden departure of coach Buzz Williams.

“We are thrilled with the direction the program is heading under Steve’s leadership,” athletic director Bill Scholl said in a statement. “This extension not only illustrates our commitment to what Steve and his staff are building at Marquette, but also his commitment to the University.”

Extending Wojciechowski now is still a bit of a surprise. Marquette is yet to begin conference play, where it posted a 4-14 record last season, and has mostly gotten off to a strong start by beating up on low-rung competition.

The Golden Eagles' most impressive wins of the season have come against Wisconsin and LSU, neither of which is lighting the world on fire. They also dropped their season opener to a shaky Belmont team and were blown out at home against Iowa.

What's more, it's not like Wojciechowski's deal was expiring anytime soon.

His original contract ran through the 2019-20 season. This new deal adds only two more years, so this was more than likely a push from Wojciechowski's side for a raise. Terms have not been made publicly available, but it would stand to reason that Wojciechowski's representatives looked to take advantage of the team's hot start while they could.

At the very least, if the hot start proves legit, Marquette is locking up a coach who could have been a hot commodity for bigger jobs next offseason. Wojciechowski comes with a pedigree of working more than a decade under Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and was one of the nation's most well-respected assistants when he took the Marquette job. 

He's also done better than expected on the recruiting trail, so this is a showing of good faith on both sides—even if it's a bit curious.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.