Athletic director Mark Coyle's two-year extension approved by University of Minnesota regents

University Regents on Friday approved a two-year contract extension for Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle that runs through 2028.

The deal adds more built-in raises for Coyle, whose current base salary is $999,375.

The Regents spent about 20 minutes discussing Coyle's contract Thursday in the Finance & Operations Committee meeting. Regents James Farnsworth, Mike Kenyanya and Darrin Rosha expressed concerns about Coyle's increased compensation, as the University works to trim administrative costs.

Regent Steven Sviggum noted that Coyle's contract will make him the fifth-highest paid AD in the Big Ten. "And I don't think this is out of line at all with the performance he has brought to the University of Minnesota," he added.

In Friday's full board meeting, the Regents voted 9-2 to approve Coyle's contract with Farnsworth and Kenyanya opposed.

Coyle, 53, has been the Gophers AD since 2016 and has made several key coaching hires in that time, including P.J. Fleck, Lindsay Whalen, Ben Johnson and Bob Motzko. The athletic department set a new grade-point average record for fall semester, at 3.43.

Coyle last received a two-year extension and raise in February 2020 before making the controversial decision that fall to cut three Gophers men's sports programs: gymnastics, tennis and indoor track and field. At the time, he cited financial losses from the pandemic and Title IX compliance concerns.