The UC Regents granted UCSB Men’s Basketball Head Coach Bob Williams a five-year contract with a $39,730 annual pay increase and $235,000 base salary.

The new agreement is effective until Aug. 31, 2016 and provides a 105 percent increase to Williams’ current $195,270 salary, funded solely with student fees. The contract also establishes a 120 percent increase on annual incentive payments, making Williams eligible to earn up to an additional $165,000 based on the team’s performance.

Williams holds an overall record of 199-156 since becoming head coach in 1998 and has been named Big West Coach of the Year three times. Although campus administration generally handles pay raises, Williams’ contract required the regents’ approval due to a 2008 UC Regent Amendment that set a 15 percent salary increase limit for athletic positions.

Assistant Athletics Director Bill Mahoney said the new contract reflects William’s superb coaching performance.

“He’s had a fairly high level of success,” Mahoney said. “We’ve gone to five post-season tournaments, including the last two NCAA tournaments, which is unprecedented in the school’s history. It’s hard to put a dollar figure or measure on that, but it does give the university a lot of really good publicity.”

Under Williams’ leadership, the team ended last season with an 18-14 record and garnered its first Big West titles and spots in the NCAA Tournament for two consecutive seasons.

According to Mahoney, there are 68 basketball teams out of the 344 schools offering Division I sports. Mahoney said maintaining the program’s high level of success is critical for drawing the attention of incoming student athletes.

However, third-year chemistry major Salvador Magdaleno said the regents should prioritize educational goals when distributing student funds.

“I see UCs more so as schools for education, not for sports,” Magdaleno said. “While I see that sports are a part of what makes UCs competitive, I think the education level is what we should focus on.”

Third-year geography major Juan Fan said the contract could stretch the UCs’ already limited funds even thinner.

“Right now, tuition is really expensive,” Fan said. “[Basketball] should be funded by the state or other sources. It shouldn’t be taken from our tuition.”

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