July 31, 2006

Tulsa, Oklahoma - University of Tulsa Head Football Coach Steve Kragthorpe signed a new six-year contract through the 2011 football season, it was announced today by TU Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham.

Cunningham indicated that the contract includes a financial incentive payable at the conclusion of the contract.

"Steve has obviously done a tremendous job in rebuilding the Tulsa football program in his three seasons," said Cunningham. "He is an outstanding coach, teacher, leader and person. Steve is a tremendous ambassador for not only our football program but the entire University and community of Tulsa. The positive image he projects is that of integrity, character and passion, all qualities that student-athletes see on a daily basis.

"The community support that makes Tulsa such a great place to live is also generous and has supported our efforts to keep top talent in the community. We are thankful for the community support," added Cunningham.

"The commitment that the University administration has shown towards our football program has become evident through our transition from the Western Athletic Conference into Conference USA," said Kragthorpe. "I'm excited about the future of our football program with the construction of the Case Athletic Complex and the recruiting classes that we've been able to put together.

"Programmatically, we are continually progressing towards the goals we established when we came here four years ago. This action is evidence of the progress we've made and shows that the University remains focused on elevating our football program to an even higher level."

Kragthorpe has posted a 21-17 record in three seasons as the Hurricane head coach, and has taken Tulsa to two bowl games in the last three years. Kragthorpe's 21 career victories is the most for a Tulsa coach over a three-year period since Henry Frnka posted a 24-4-1 from 1941 to 1943.

Last season, Kragthorpe led Tulsa to an overall 9-4 record and a 6-2 league mark. Kragthorpe led the Hurricane to the Conference USA West Division title and captured a victory in the inaugural Conference USA Football Championship Game with a 44-27 win over Central Florida. He led Tulsa to a 31-24 victory over Fresno State in the 2005 AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

Since his arrival, Hurricane football has been high-powered on offense and opportunistic on the defensive side of the ball. In 38 games as head coach, his teams have scored over 30 points 23 times and in the 21 victories have averaged nearly 40 points per game.

In 2003, Kragthorpe led his first Tulsa team to an 8-5 overall record and the school's first bowl game in 12 years. The Golden Hurricane finished in a tie for second in the Western Athletic Conference with a 6- 2 record and played in the Humanitarian Bowl. His coaching job that year produced the biggest turnaround NCAA Division I-A, and was the most victories at the school since 1991.

Kragthorpe was named the Tulsa head coach on December 18, 2002, becoming the 26th head football coach in school history. Before his appointment at Tulsa, Kragthorpe coached 13 years on the collegiate level and served two years as the quarterback coach for the NFL's Buffalo Bills.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.