After months of leadership changes, a shifting roster and an audit that put the team in the national spotlight, Binghamton University men’s basketball team may finally see some traces of stability.

Mark Macon, BU men’s basketball interim head coach, has confirmed that his contract has been extended by two years.

‘I feel great about it,’ Macon said of the extension. ‘It gives stability to the old guys. I think it’s great for them. I wanted to be here for them.’

Interim Athletic Director Jim Norris said the extension was in part a reflection of Macon’s success with the team.

‘I was pleased with the performance of coach Macon,’ he said. Macon led the team to a regular season record of 13-18, including 8-8 in conference play. That record earned them a fifth-place spot going into the America East Conference championships.

That placement came after the 2009 preseason poll of the AE head coaches had the Bearcats slated to finish last, in ninth place. The team faced the dismissal of six players in late September, and former head coach Kevin Broadus was placed on an indefinite paid leave of absence in October. Broadus continues to earn over $220,000 per year as per his contract, which is not set to expire until April 2014.

Macon’s contract extension was paired with a pay raise. According to a report in the Press & Sun-Bulletin, Macon was earning $75,675 as interim head coach last season, up from his original assistant coach salary of $57,651. According to Norris, Macon will now be earning $125,000 per year.

Macon said he was not fully expecting the extension.

‘I was a little bit surprised,’ he said. ‘I’m happy about it and I’m sad. It’s a situation that has been good, but it’s also a tough situation. But in the end, it’s about keeping the family together.’

Macon said he would like to see the players who were released from the team last September return, but that decision would have to be made by administrators in the athletic department.

Norris said that it is the intent of the athletic department to retain assistant coach Donald Anderson and that Anderson has made a verbal agreement that he is committed to remaining on staff. An official written agreement has yet to be finalized, however.

The BU athletic department has made no final decisions in regard to assistant coach Marc Hsu. Norris also noted that a search is still underway for a replacement for former assistant coach Julius Allen, who is no longer employed by the University. Hsu and Allen were reassigned earlier this year after the release of the audit of the BU athletic program.

AWAITING A DECISION

Norris said he could not comment on Broadus’ situation, but Broadus’ lawyer, Linda Kenney Baden, did comment.

‘On April 18, 2010, when he was given his performance evaluation, Binghamton University said it would get back to him in two weeks,’ Baden said of her client.

Baden added that Broadus does plan to seek reinstatement to his former position.

‘We have heard nothing from the University,’ she said. ‘We will seek the remedy of reinstatement through the appropriate legal channels at the appropriate time.’

Macon said that he has been in contact with Broadus, but those communications have been limited.

‘It’s more on a personal level and dealing with what’s going on,’ Macon said. ‘It’s about making sure he’s all right and about his well-being.’

Though he does not have any definitive plans for the next two years, Macon said his goal for the team is to always play hard and win games. He added, however, that beyond winning games, the players can gain something more from basketball.

‘Basketball doesn’t always pan out for everyone,’ Macon said, ‘But we can always be productive citizens. It’s what I want from them ‘ to be better gentlemen, better fathers, better to their families, better to their neighborhoods, better to their state.’

‘ Kai Liu contributed to this report.