JMU's Houston gets new contract

(STATS) - Coach Mike Houston of national champion James Madison has been given a restructured contract, athletic director Jeff Bourne said Thursday.

The new five-year contract runs through the 2021 season - adding one year to the second-year coach's original deal - and includes both an increase in base pay and additional bonuses awarded for a CAA Football championship, conference coach of the year and national coach of the year honors. Rivals reported Houston's base salary jumps from $300,000 annually to $375,000.

Other original postseason and retention bonuses, including those connected to the program's NCAA Academic Progress Rate score, remain intact.

"Mike Houston is not only a successful football coach, but he is a quality person, a great mentor and an embodiment of our aspirations as an athletic department and as a university," Bourne said. "We are pleased to reward Mike for a tremendous first year and eagerly anticipate building on our national championship heading into 2017 and beyond."

James Madison completed its 14-1 season with a 28-14 win over Youngstown State in the national championship game on Jan. 7. The Dukes were 8-0 in winning the CAA Football title.