GRAND FORKS, N.D. ? University of North Dakota co-acting athletic directors Betty Ralston and Steve Brekke announced today that Fighting Sioux head men's basketball coach Brian Jones has been given a three-year contract extension that extends his contract through June 30, 2013.
 
Brekke said the contract extension served to reward Jones for his performance in his first two years at UND as well as provide stability as UND moves all of its athletic programs to NCAA Division I.
 
“Brian is the right person to take the program through its transition to Division I,” Brekke said. “He has displayed the skills and ability to lead the UND men's basketball team, and this will provide stability for all of our current student-athletes as well as future recruits.”
 
Jones, who just completed his second season as UND's head coach, had a one-year contract in his first season (2006-07) and then received a three-year extension that went through June 30, 2010.
 
The new extension ensures that Jones is under contract through the four years of UND's transition to NCAA Division I and the first season that UND will have Division I postseason eligibility (2012-13). Financial details of  Jones' extension will be worked out with UND's new athletic director.
 
Said Jones: “I would like to thank the administration and the University of North Dakota for the confidence and support in our staff to lead the Fighting Sioux men's basketball program through the transition to Division I.  We are excited about the upcoming challenges in the transition. This commitment is not only a commitment to our staff, but also to our players, recruits and Fighting Sioux basketball family that we will have stability and time to grow until we are eligible for the NCAA tournament.”
 
Jones led the Sioux to a 15-15 overall record this season, an improvement of four wins over his first season, when UND was 11-17 overall. This season the Sioux came within one game of qualifying for the NCAA Division II championship tournament, falling 75-68 to Nebraska-Omaha in the North Central Conference tournament championship game.
 
The sixth-seeded Fighting Sioux defeated two higher seeds ? second-seeded South Dakota, which was ranked 25th in the nation, and third-seeded Augustana in the NCC tournament to advance to the conference title game.