Fordham University and men’s basketball coach Dereck Whittenburg have agreed on a contract extension through the 2012-13 season, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Frank McLaughlin announced on Thursday, Nov. 8. Financial terms of the contract, which was agreed to last summer and finalized this week, were not released.
“Dereck Whittenburg has done a great job getting Fordham basketball back on track and we are excited that he is committed to leading the Fordham program for years to come,” McLaughlin said. “Dereck has made tremendous progress with the men’s basketball program and has brought a remarkable amount of excitement to Rose Hill. We look for him to continue with that progress in the future.”
For the past four years, Fordham has shown remarkable improvement under Whittenburg’s guidance, going from six wins in Whittenburg’s first year at the helm in 2003-04 to 18 last year, the most wins for a Fordham men’s basketball team since 1991-92. The Rams also finished 10-6 in the Atlantic 10 conference, Fordham’s best finish since joining the league in 1995-96.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to continue to build the Fordham program and to build a program that everyone can be proud of,” Whittenburg said. “We have a good foundation in place that will allow us to have continued success in the years to come.”
Whittenburg, 46, arrived at Rose Hill after turning the Wagner College program around in four years, leading the Seahawks to a 21-10 record in 2002-03 and the Northeast Conference Championship, earning the school’s first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament.
