Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

Before the West Virginia Mountaineers football team took the field for its regular-season finale Saturday, the program reportedly rewarded head coach Dana Holgorsen with a new contract extension.

Per ESPN's Brett McMurphy, Holgorsen received a five-year extension that will run through the 2021 season. Chris Anderson of 247Sports added Holgorsen's deal was signed and approved Friday, with an official announcement from the school coming Saturday or Sunday.

Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated reported it is a five-year, $18.6 million contract that will pay $4 million in the final year of the deal.

Since taking over as West Virginia's head coach in 2011, Holgorsen has led the program to five bowl appearances, including this season, and an Orange Bowl victory over the Clemson Tigers.

The move takes pressure off the Mountaineers, who were dealing with uncertainty regarding Holgorsen's status with the program after the two sides ended their initial extension talks in February to focus on the 2016 season.

"There will be no change in Dana's contract at this time," athletic director Shane Lyons told Mike Casazza and Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. "We'll now turn our attention to the 2016 season and hope to continue the momentum from the Cactus Bowl win and successful signing day."

Citing a source in November, Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle reported Holgorsen could have emerged as a candidate for Houston's head coaching job, having worked as an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the school from 2008 to 2009.

Thanks to a successful bounce-back season in 2016, Holgorsen and West Virginia were able to find common ground to keep their partnership going.

There have been some bumps along the way, but after firmly establishing the program with successful recruiting in the Big 12, Holgorsen is bringing the Mountaineers back into the national conversation.